Türkiye’s defence ministry has said that naval forces had located the commercial vessel, which sank after colliding with another Turkish-flagged ship off Istanbul’s Silivri district.
The ministry said on Friday that search and rescue operations for the vessel and its 10 crew members were continuing.
The TCG Akin rescue and towing vessel, which has been operating at the accident site since Wednesday, located the sunken ship, the ministry said, adding that naval units were continuing their work in coordination.
The development marks a significant step in the search after authorities lost contact with the vessel and its crew following the collision.
Two ships collided off Silivri
The vessel collided with another commercial ship at around 3am on Wednesday, approximately 18 nautical miles south of Silivri, according to the Istanbul Governor’s Office.
After the collision, authorities lost contact with the sunk vessel and its 10 crew members. The Turkish Coast Guard, General Directorate of Coastal Safety and Navy launched a coordinated search and rescue operation.
The wreck was located as naval teams continued efforts to determine the fate of the missing crew.
The incident is also being investigated by prosecutors, while a preliminary expert report has been prepared to examine the circumstances surrounding the collision.
