Cargo ship sinks in Sea of Marmara, search and rescue operation underway for 6 crew members

A cargo ship carrying six crew members capsized and sank in the Sea of Marmara on Thursday, February 15, 2024, southwest of İmralı Island. A search and rescue operation is underway for the missing crew.

The 69-meter-long ship, named "BATUHAN A," reportedly took on water and sank at around 07:12 local time. The ship's distress signal was received by the Turkish Coast Guard at 06:32.

Two ships, two boats affiliated with the Coast Guard Command, and two tugs affiliated with the General Directorate of Coastal Safety have been dispatched to the area to assist in the search and rescue efforts.

A life raft and an empty life jacket belonging to the ship were found by the Coast Guard teams. However, there has been no sign of the missing crew members.

The Minister of Transport and Infrastructure, Abdulkadir Uraloğlu, said that the search and rescue operation is ongoing.

The same ship had previously run aground

The "BATUHAN A" had previously run aground on April 2, 2021, while approaching the port in the town of Karabiga, in the Biga district of Çanakkale, to unload goods.

The ship was refloated two days later after being towed by the tugboat "Türkeli" of the General Directorate of Coastal Safety, which was dispatched to the area at the call of the captain.

The cause of the sinking is still under investigation.

Updates:

The sunken ship has been located by sonar at a depth of 51 meters.
Underwater drone images show the ship resting on the seabed intact.
The search for the missing crew members continues.

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