Turkey detains nine tanker crew after collision

Turkish authorities have detained nine of the ten crew members aboard the empty oil tanker ALSU following a collision off Istanbul's western coast. The incident occurred early Wednesday when the ALSU struck the cargo ship Tugberk Imamoglu, an 90-metre Turkish-flagged vessel transporting rolled steel sheets and reinforcing bars. The cargo ship sank quickly, with all ten crew members unaccounted for.

The ALSU, which was not damaged in the collision, was initially reported to be carrying 3,000 tonnes of motor oil by the maritime directorate. However, later updates confirmed that the tanker was in fact empty. Authorities are conducting search and rescue operations involving 18 vessels, five helicopters, two unmanned aerial vehicles, an aircraft, and a navy vessel with underwater search capabilities. The cause of the collision remains unclear at this time.