Details of the ship collision investigation off the coast of Silivri emerge: Necessary instructions issued

In the accident that occurred on the night of September 2, 18 miles south of the Silivri coast, the 90-meter-long Turkish-flagged commercial ship named Alsu, traveling from Kocaeli to Aliağa, collided with the commercial ship named Tuğberk İmamoğlu, which was traveling from İskenderun Port to Karadeniz Ereğli.

Following the accident, it was reported that contact was lost with the 10 personnel on board the Tuğberk İmamoğlu, and search and rescue operations at sea by the General Directorate of Coastal Safety and Coast Guard Command teams are ongoing. An investigation into the accident has been launched by the Silivri Chief Public Prosecutor's Office.

Records of both ships will be examined

Within the scope of the investigation, it was reported that information regarding the shipowners, operating companies, and company officials of both vessels has been obtained, and necessary instructions have been issued to collect records, documents, and digital data from the relevant companies to clarify the incident. It was requested that the ALSU ship's navigation, route, and maneuver information, bridge and engine records, VDR (Voyage Data Recorder), ECDIS and AIS/GPS data, logbooks and maneuver books, voyage plan, crew and shift schedules, ship and class certificates, cargo records, as well as photo and video recordings be secured as part of the investigation. Registration documents, certificates, class documents, port state control reports, and administrative investigation files for both ships were requested from the Istanbul Regional Port Authority. From the General Directorate of Coastal Safety, it was requested that VHF/radio communications of the ships, radio conversations between the ships and Vessel Traffic Services (VTS), as well as radar, route, movement, and maneuver records covering the 12 hours prior to the incident be submitted.

Expert appointed

Experts in the fields of ship captaincy and naval architecture were appointed to prepare a preliminary report regarding the fault status. The experts were provided with transport to the region to conduct inspections on the ALSU ship, which is being towed to the port in Silivri, and at the scene of the accident. It was estimated that the sea depth in the area where the Tuğberk İmamoğlu ship sank is between approximately 800 and 1,100 meters. It was stated that research and coordination efforts are ongoing to determine and procure the technical capabilities required to work at this depth in order to locate the ship and the wreckage area, conduct scanning and inspection on the seabed, and obtain evidence.

Radio records also requested

Upon observing that some radio conversations, allegedly held between the captains of the ALSU and Tuğberk İmamoğlu ships after the incident, were published in the media and open sources, it was reported that these records had not yet reached the investigation file through official channels. Therefore, VHF/radio and VTS communication records for both ships were requested from the General Directorate of Coastal Safety to obtain the original and complete versions of the conversations. It was stated that records of the radio conversations held between Coast Guard units and the ALSU ship after the incident have been added to the investigation file, and the conversations have been examined and recorded in minutes.

Marine pollution occurred, work initiated

Upon the detection of pollution beginning to form on the sea surface in the area where the Tuğberk İmamoğlu ship sank, instructions were given to conduct research and examinations to determine the nature, source, and spread of the pollution, and to take necessary health and environmental measures to evaluate the risks it may pose to the environment and human health.