Turkish cargo ship sinks after collision off Istanbul, 10 crew members missing

ISTANBUL — A Turkish cargo ship has sunk after colliding with another vessel off the coast of Istanbul, with 10 crew members missing, authorities said on Wednesday.The collision took place at 3 am (00:00 GMT) in the Marmara Sea a little more than 20 miles (32 kilometers) south of Silivri, a suburb of Turkey’s largest city, the Istanbul governor’s office said in a statement.Contact was lost with the crew of the Tugberk İmamoglu after the collision with the Turkish-flagged Alsu, which appeared undamaged, the governor’s office said.A lifeboat and other debris belonging to the Tugberk İmamoglu have been found, but there is no sign of the crew of 10, the General Directorate of Maritime Affairs said in a statement.“It is assessed that the Tugberk İmamoglu 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.“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.”The 90-meter (295-foot) Tugberk İmamoglu had been sailing from Turkey’s Medit