Two Turkish-flagged vessels collide in Marmara Sea off Istanbul; 10 crew members unreachable

10 crew members aboard one of the vessels are unreachable (Representative image)

Two Turkish-flagged commercial vessels collided off Istanbul in the Sea of Marmara on Wednesday, with authorities losing contact with one of the ships and the crew members on board.The Turkish-flagged Alsu, en route to the Aegean port of Aliaga, and the Tugberk Imamoglu, headed to the Black Sea port of Karadenizeregli, collided off Istanbul’s Silivri district at around 3 am local time (0000 GMT), Reuters reported, quoting the governor’s office.Coast guard ships and helicopters were dispatched to the scene for search and rescue. There was no visible damage to the Alsu, but authorities were unable to establish contact with the Tugberk Imamoglu and its 10 crew members. The search and rescue operation is still under way.