Turkish coast guard vessels and a helicopter are scouring the waters off Istanbul after losing contact with a cargo ship that collided with another vessel early Wednesday in the Sea of Marmara, southwest of Istanbul.

The Turkish-flagged Tugberk Imamoglu was en route from Iskenderun to the Black Sea port of Karadenizeregli when it crashed into the Turkish-flagged chemical tanker Alsu near the Silivri district of Istanbul at approximately 3 a.m. local time (0000 GMT), according to a statement from the Istanbul governor's office.

"It is currently impossible to establish contact with the cargo ship Tugberk Imamoglu and its 10 crew members," the statement said, adding that coast guard vessels and a helicopter are searching the area for the missing ship.

The statement noted that the Alsu appeared undamaged in the collision. The cause of the incident is under investigation, and search efforts are ongoing.

Source: www.dw.com