10 feared dead as Turkish cargo ship collision

NewsFILE - People sit in front of cargo ships anchor in the Marmara Sea await to cross the Bosphorus Straits in Istanbul, Turkey, on July 13, 2022. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra, File)AP Photo/Khalil HamraTen crew members are feared dead after a Turkish cargo ship sank Wednesday after a collision with a tanker off Istanbul.Turkey’s General Directorate of Maritime Affairs said a lifeboat and other debris belonging to the Tugberk Imamoglu have been found, but there is no sign of the crew.“There are 10 seafarers on board, including the captain,” Transport Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu said. “They are all Turkish. We can say that the sinking occurred rapidly in 11 minutes. No one has been found alive.”According to The Associated Press, two helicopters and 12 search and rescue vessels are searching the area.The ship collided with the Turkish-flagged tanker Alsu in the Marmara Sea at 3 a.m., the statement said. An emergency signal was received from the Tugberk Imamoglu and the first rescue craft reached the site 4:10 a.m.The vessel collided with the Alsu about 20 miles south of Silivri, a western suburb of Turkey’s largest city.“It is assessed that the Tugberk Imamoglu vessel sank because it did not respond to any calls and the mobile phones of the personnel on board went unanswered,” the maritime directorate said.The owner of the Tugberk Imamoglu said the captain had contacted the Alsu before the collision to warn that it was entering the cargo vessel’s shipping lane.The Associated Press contributed to this report.Mark Heim is a senior writer who provides sports, news and trending content. He co-hosts a daily sports radio show on WNSP-FM 105.5 in Mobile. Heim has been recognized with awards for his writing, headlines and...