Investigation into the Sinking Cause of the Tugberk Imamoglu Ship in the Sea of Marmara

The dry cargo ship named Tugberk Imamoglu, which collided with the ALSU tanker off the coast of Silivri in the Sea of Marmara, sank into the waters in a short time. While large-scale search and rescue operations were launched in the region following the accident involving ten personnel, the reasons behind the ship sinking in eleven minutes are being investigated.

Collision and Rapid Sinking Process

The dry cargo ship Tugberk Imamoglu, which collided with the ALSU tanker in the Sea of Marmara, had the accident around 03:15 according to statements by Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloglu. The receipt of a signal from the emergency device at 03:26 revealed that the ship sank in approximately eleven minutes.

Search and Rescue Operation

Coast Guard and Coastal Safety teams took action upon the loss of contact with the ship, which had 10 personnel on board. Air and sea search operations are ongoing in the area, which has a depth estimated between eight hundred and nine hundred meters where the ship is believed to have sunk.

Impact of Cargo and Damage

It was announced by the Directorate General of Maritime Affairs that the ship, sailing from Iskenderun to Karadeniz Eregli, was carrying four thousand one hundred ninety-nine tons of rolled sheet metal. In addition to the heavy steel cargo, large cracks formed on the hull are considered to have played a role in the rapid sinking.

Judicial Investigation Initiated

Following the evaluations of maritime experts regarding the accident and the structure of the ship, the legal process came into effect. The Silivri Chief Public Prosecutor's Office is conducting a comprehensive investigation to determine how the disaster occurred and who is responsible.