Report details errors before cargo ship sank off Istanbul

ISTANBUL

A preliminary expert report has pointed to serious watchkeeping and bridge-management failures aboard both vessels involved in a collision in the Marmara Sea that sank a cargo ship and left its 10 crew members missing.

The Turkish-flagged Tuğberk İmamoğlu, carrying 4,199 tons of coiled steel from İskenderun to Karadeniz Ereğli, collided with the Turkish-flagged tanker Alsu about 18 nautical miles south of Istanbul’s Silivri district at around 3:15 a.m. on Sept. 2.

The cargo ship sank within about 11 minutes. Search-and-rescue operations for its crew are continuing.

The preliminary report found no weather or sea conditions that could have caused the collision. Visibility was about six nautical miles, while there was no fog, heavy rain or strong current restricting maneuverability.

It cited “a breakdown in bridge discipline, the abandonment of watchkeeping standards and a loss of situational awareness” as the main causes of the accident.

The report said deck officer Murat Evciman was alone on the bridge of the Alsu during his first watch aboard the vessel, having joined the crew only a day earlier.

No lookout, trainee or helmsman was present, while captain Ahmet Erarslan was asleep in his cabin and reached the bridge seven to 10 minutes after the collision.

The Tuğberk İmamoğlu’s automatic identification system was either switched off, malfunctioning or otherwise failing to operate properly, making the vessel difficult to track, according to the report.

Although the crews had agreed by radio to pass to port, the Tuğberk İmamoğlu turned sharply to starboard in the final half nautical mile and crossed the Alsu’s bow. The report described the maneuver as the operational fault that triggered the collision.

It also found that the Alsu failed to reduce speed early or stop or reverse its engines, potentially increasing the force of the impact.

Investigators have requested radio communications, vessel traffic records, cargo and stability documents and external camera footage before issuing their final assessment.

A court ordered the arrest of Erarslan and Evciman pending trial, while four other suspects were released under judicial supervision.

The wreck has yet to be reached.