site.btaFirst Body Recovered from Missing 10-Member Crew of Turkish Cargo Ship in Marmara Collision

The body of a man has been found during search and rescue operations in the Sea of Marmara for the 10 missing crew members of the cargo ship Tugberk Imamoglu, which sank after colliding with the tanker Alsu off the coast of Silivri, Turkish media reported Tuesday, citing a statement by the Silivri Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office.

According to NTV, the body was found approximately 5 km from the site where the ship sank. It was subsequently brought to the port of Silivri.

Following a forensic examination at the Istanbul Institute of Forensic Medicine, the body was identified as that of Yasar Kayhan, the captain of the sunken Tugberk Imamoglu.

The search continues for the remaining nine crew members who are still missing. Teams from the Turkish Coast Guard Command, the General Directorate of Coastal Safety and the Naval Forces Command are taking part in the search operations and are continuously searching the area.

The cargo ship Tugberk Imamoglu, which was carrying construction materials and rolled steel, sank in the Sea of Marmara on September 2 this year, within approximately 11 minutes of colliding with the tanker Alsu. The collision occurred about 18 nautical miles off Silivri.

With the assistance of the Turkish Navy’s rescue vessel TCG Akin, equipped with sonar systems and a remotely operated underwater vehicle (ROV), the location and wreckage of the sunken vessel were identified.

As part of the investigation into the incident, being conducted by the Silivri Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, the tanker Alsu’s first and third officers have been arrested, while the other four crew members have been placed under judicial control.