Two Turkish-flagged commercial vessels collided in the Sea of Marmara off Istanbul’s Silivri district early Wednesday. Authorities lost contact with one ship and its 10-member crew, triggering a sea-and-air search operation.

Two Turkish-flagged commercial vessels collided in the Sea of Marmara off Istanbul’s Silivri district early Wednesday, after which authorities lost contact with one of the ships and its 10 crew members.

The collision occurred at around 3 am local time, approximately 18 nautical miles south of Silivri, according to the Istanbul Governor’s Office.

The vessels involved were the Alsu, travelling from Kocaeli to Aliağa, and the Tugberk Imamoglu, which was sailing from the southern Turkish port of Iskenderun towards Karadeniz Ereğli on the Black Sea coast.

Contact lost with 10 crew members

Following the collision, Turkish authorities deployed vessels from the General Directorate of Coastal Safety and the Coast Guard Marmara and Straits Command, along with a Coast Guard helicopter, to the area.

Initial assessments found no visible damage to the Alsu. However, authorities were unable to establish contact with the Tugberk Imamoglu or its 10 crew members. Search-and-rescue operations were continuing by sea and air.

The status of the missing crew members was not immediately known. Authorities also had not established the cause of the collision.

Two different types of vessels

According to maritime information cited by Reuters, the Tugberk Imamoglu operates as a bulk carrier, while the Alsu is a chemical tanker. The Tugberk Imamoglu is about 90 metres long, while the Alsu is approximately 91 metres. 

The vessels were travelling on routes connecting Turkey's Black Sea, Mediterranean and Aegean ports when the collision occurred.

Search operation underway

Coast Guard and maritime safety teams continued efforts to locate the missing vessel and its crew.

The incident occurred in the Marmara Sea, part of the wider Turkish Straits system linking the Black Sea with the Mediterranean. The waterways around Istanbul are among the world's busiest maritime routes, making safe navigation particularly important for commercial shipping.

Authorities have not yet released information on casualties, possible environmental damage or the circumstances that led to the collision.

The immediate priority remains locating the Tugberk Imamoglu and the 10 crew members aboard the vessel.

At least five people have died and 41 others remain missing after a ferry caught fire off Madura Island in Indonesia, according to the country's search and rescue agency.

The incident occurred on Sunday, triggering a large-scale search and rescue operation involving emergency response teams.

Search Operation Underway

Authorities said rescue personnel are continuing efforts to locate passengers who remain unaccounted for following the fire.

The Indonesian search and rescue agency confirmed that five fatalities have been reported so far, while 41 people are still missing. The number of survivors has not yet been officially disclosed.

Cause of Fire Yet to Be Determined

Officials have not immediately revealed what caused the fire aboard the ferry.

An investigation is expected to begin after rescue operations conclude, with authorities likely to examine the circumstances that led to the incident.

Authorities Continue Rescue Efforts

Emergency teams remain deployed in the area as search operations continue. Authorities are working to trace missing passengers and provide assistance to survivors and their families.

Further details, including the total number of passengers on board and the ferry's route, are yet to be officially released.

A Vietnamese cargo vessel sank in the disputed waters of the South China Sea, leaving 23 crew members missing, while rescue teams continue a large-scale search operation involving Chinese and Vietnamese authorities.

The cargo ship, Khoi Nguyen 18, was carrying 62 Vietnamese nationals when it encountered trouble near Fiery Cross Reef in the Spratly Islands. According to Reuters, 39 people have been rescued, while efforts remain underway to locate the remaining crew members.

Distress Signal Triggered Rescue

Authorities in China's Hainan province said a distress flare from the vessel was detected on Saturday evening by the Chinese rescue ship Nanhai Jiu 115, prompting an immediate search-and-rescue mission.

Multiple rescue assets have since been deployed, including six Chinese vessels, one rescue helicopter, and a Vietnamese rescue vessel, to comb the waters surrounding the accident site.

Cause of Sinking Still Unknown

The Vietnamese-registered cargo ship measures nearly 70 metres in length and has a gross tonnage of 999 tonnes. Officials have not yet disclosed the cause of the sinking, and investigations are expected to begin once rescue operations conclude.

Authorities are currently prioritising efforts to locate the missing crew members amid challenging maritime conditions.

Incident in a Sensitive Maritime Zone

The accident occurred near Fiery Cross Reef, part of the Spratly Islands, one of the world's most disputed maritime regions. China refers to the island chain as the Nansha Islands and claims sovereignty over much of the South China Sea.

The region has remained a geopolitical flashpoint due to overlapping territorial claims by China, Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei, and Taiwan.

Recent Tensions in the South China Sea

The sinking comes just days after renewed tensions between Chinese and Philippine forces in the South China Sea.

The Philippine military accused the Chinese Coast Guard of confronting Filipino personnel near the Second Thomas Shoal, where the grounded naval vessel BRP Sierra Madre serves as a military outpost. China disputed the allegation, claiming Philippine personnel initiated the confrontation.

The South China Sea is one of the world's busiest maritime trade routes and is believed to contain significant reserves of oil and natural gas, making it strategically important for regional and global shipping.

Search operations for the missing crew members are continuing.

The boat, operated by Ocean Pearl Island Company, was carrying 32 Indian tourists along with a flight attendant and four crew members when it malfunctioned and capsized near Hon May Rut Ngoai island around 1 pm local time, according to Vietnamese outlet VnExpress, which cited authorities from the Phu Quoc Special Economic Zone. Nearby tourist boats moved in to help once the vessel got into distress, according to the same report.

The An Thoi Port Border Guard Station said the dead included two women and 13 men. The 21 people rescued were taken to medical facilities for emergency treatment; their conditions haven't been detailed publicly.

The Indian Embassy in Hanoi confirmed the incident in a post on X, saying a boat carrying several Indian tourists had capsized near Phu Quoc and that exact details were still being established as search and rescue operations continued. The embassy said it had set up control rooms to coordinate the response.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the tragedy on X shortly after, writing that he was "extremely saddened to learn about the tragic news" and offering condolences to the families who lost loved ones, along with prayers for the injured survivors' recovery. He said the Indian Embassy and Consulate were providing all possible assistance and that officials were in close contact with Vietnamese authorities. Modi is currently returning to India after wrapping up a three-nation tour covering Indonesia, Australia and New Zealand.

As of the last update, there had been no official confirmation of the death toll or victims' identities from the Indian government directly — figures so far have come from local Vietnamese authorities and media. Further details on the cause of the malfunction, and on the identities and home states of those killed, are still awaited.

Phu Quoc, Vietnam's largest island and a fast-growing tourist destination in the Gulf of Thailand, has seen a steady rise in Indian visitor numbers in recent years as direct flight connectivity and holiday packages to Southeast Asia have expanded. The scale of Saturday's incident is likely to raise fresh questions about safety standards for tourist boat operators in the region, though no official assessment of what went wrong has been released yet.

The Ministry of External Affairs has not issued a separate statement beyond the embassy's post as of this writing.