02.09.2026 12:01
It has been announced that the dry cargo ship TUĞBERK İMAMOĞLU, which collided with the tanker ALSU in the Marmara Sea, sank in just 11 minutes. Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloğlu stated that there were 10 Turkish sailors on board, all of whom were Turkish, and that no one had been reached alive so far, while reporting that teams continue search efforts from the air and sea.
Search and rescue efforts continue following the ship accident that occurred in the Sea of Marmara on the night of September 2. New details about how the accident happened have emerged from statements by the Istanbul Governorship, the General Directorate of Maritime Affairs, and Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloğlu.
According to the initial statement from the Istanbul Governorship, the accident occurred at around 03:00, 18 nautical miles south of the Silivri coast. The Turkish-flagged tanker named ALSU, traveling from Kocaeli to Aliağa, collided with the Turkish-flagged dry cargo ship named TUĞBERK İMAMOĞLU, which was en route from İskenderun Port to Karadeniz Ereğli.
FIRST DISTRESS SIGNAL CAME AT 03:26
According to the statement from the General Directorate of Maritime Affairs, a distress signal was received at 03:26 from the EPIRB device of a ship off the Silivri coast through the Cospas-Sarsat satellite-aided search and rescue system.
Examinations determined that the signal belonged to the TUĞBERK İMAMOĞLU, and Turkish Radio called the ship.
At 03:41, the captain of the ALSU tanker contacted the Vessel Traffic Services Center and reported that he had collided with a ship whose identity he did not know at around 03:15.
THE SHIP WAS CARRYING 4,199 TONS OF STEEL COILS
Examinations by the General Directorate of Maritime Affairs determined that the ALSU, traveling from Kocaeli to Aliağa, had collided with the TUĞBERK İMAMOĞLU, which was going from İskenderun to Karadeniz Ereğli.
In the General Directorate's statement, it was shared that the ALSU was carrying 2,999 tons of motor oil, while the TUĞBERK İMAMOĞLU was carrying 4,199 tons of steel coils. In a later statement from the Istanbul Governorship, it was noted that the TUĞBERK İMAMOĞLU was loaded with steel coils and construction iron.
GENERAL DIRECTORATE OF MARITIME AFFAIRS: IT WAS ASSESSED THAT THE SHIP HAD SUNK
Following the accident, no response was received to calls made to the TUĞBERK İMAMOĞLU. The Main Search and Rescue Coordination Center also called the mobile phones of the personnel on board, but these attempts yielded no results.
The General Directorate of Maritime Affairs announced that, since no response could be obtained from the ship or its crew, it was assessed that the TUĞBERK İMAMOĞLU had sunk.
Search and rescue activities were initiated by teams from the General Directorate of Coastal Safety and the Coast Guard Command, and it was reported that the first maritime unit moved to the area at 04:10.
LIFEBOAT FOUND, NO ONE INSIDE
In the statement from the General Directorate of Maritime Affairs, one of the most striking details of the search efforts was the finding of the ship's life-saving appliances.
The life-saving appliances of the TUĞBERK İMAMOĞLU, including its free-fall lifeboat, were found on the sea surface. However, inspections revealed that none of the 10 seafarers who were on duty on the ship were found inside these appliances.
URALOĞLU: A RAPID SINKING OCCURRED IN 11 MINUTES
Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloğlu also shared striking information regarding the sinking time of the ship in his statement about the accident.
Stating that there were 10 seafarers, including captains, on the TUĞBERK İMAMOĞLU and that all were Turkish, Uraloğlu said the distress call was received at 03:26.
Uraloğlu noted that a rapid sinking occurred within an 11-minute period, and stated that the 10 people on board could not be reached and no one had been found alive so far.
THE SHIP IS THOUGHT TO BE AT A DEPTH OF 950 METERS
Minister Uraloğlu also provided information about the point where the TUĞBERK İMAMOĞLU is assessed to be located. Stating that the ship is thought to be at a depth of approximately 950 meters, Uraloğlu reported that search and rescue efforts are ongoing.
In the statement from the Istanbul Governorship, it was noted that the sea depth in the region where the accident occurred is approximately 800-900 meters according to determinations made.
GOVERNORSHIP: THEY ARE BEING SEARCHED FROM AIR AND SEA
The Istanbul Governorship announced that immediately after the accident, numerous maritime units from the Coastal Safety and Coast Guard Marmara and Straits Command, as well as Coast Guard helicopters, were sent to the region.
While no visible damage was detected on the ALSU in initial inspections, contact could not be established with the TUĞBERK İMAMOĞLU and its 10 personnel.
In a later statement from the Governorship, it was reported that 2 helicopters and 9 maritime units from the Coast Guard Marmara and Straits Regional Command, as well as 3 sea vehicles from the General Directorate of Coastal Safety, were deployed in the search and rescue operation.
The General Directorate of Maritime Affairs announced that at one stage of the operation, 14 maritime search and rescue units, a helicopter, and the ALSU tanker involved in the accident were actively participating in the search efforts.
SEARCH EFFORTS CONTINUE FOR THE 10 SEAFARERS
Efforts are ongoing to reach the all-Turkish crew of 10, including captains, who were on the TUĞBERK İMAMOĞLU. While teams scan the region from sea and air, an investigation into the accident and the rapid sinking of the ship also continues.