Captain’s Body Recovered 2 Weeks Following Ship Collision In The Sea Of Marmara

The body of the captain whose cargo ship, the Tugberk Imamoglu, sank after colliding with a tanker was recently found as search and rescue operations continue to search for the 9 missing crew members in the Sea of Marmara.

Yaşar Kayhan’s body was recovered 5 km from the site of the accident and was then sent to the forensic department to identify the cause of death.

Cargo ship Imamoglu collided with Alsu tanker 18 nm off Silivri when the latter was sailing to Aliaga Port from Kocaeli, and the former was headed to Karadeniz Eregli from the Iskenderun Port.

The impact and the heavy cargo of rolled steel caused the Tugberk Imamoglu to sink within minutes, and its 10 crew members went missing, of whom the captain’s body has now been found.

The Coast Guard of Turkiye, the Naval Forces and the General Directorate of Coastal Safety are coordinating their efforts to find the missing crew.

The wreck of Imamoglu was identified 4 days after the accident, with the assistance of a rescue vessel named TCG Akin, which is part of the Turkish naval fleet, along with the use of sonar systems and a remotely operated vehicle.

After the sunken ship was found, the underwater scanning and diving operations were started, along with an investigation which is being led by the Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office in Silivri.

The officials conducting the investigation assured that all required procedures were being carried out to determine the circumstances of the incident.

The authorities also expressed their condolences to the family members of the deceased.