Istanbul: The expert committee investigating the sinking of a cargo ship in the Sea of Marmara off Istanbul has released a preliminary report revealing that the captain of the ship, ALSU, was asleep at the time of the collision with the vessel Tugberk Imamoglu.

According to National Iraqi News Agency, the report states that control of the bridge was left to a third officer who had joined the ship only a day prior to the incident. This officer lacked experience, and there was no maritime observer or pilot present at the time. The sunken vessel was operating with its Automatic Identification System (AIS) switched off and executed an unexpected turning maneuver within the last half nautical mile, contrary to prior radio communication agreements, which resulted in the collision and subsequent sinking.

Turkish authorities announced Thursday that search efforts are ongoing for the ten crew members of the Turkish cargo ship that sank early Wednesday morning. The incident occurred near Istanbul after a collision wi
th another Turkish cargo ship. Authorities have deployed around 18 vessels, five helicopters, two drones, an aircraft, and a naval vessel equipped for underwater search operations. The water depth in the incident area is estimated to be between 800 and 900 meters.

The authorities confirmed that the second vessel involved in the collision was undamaged and has docked at a port in Istanbul. An investigation is currently underway to determine the exact cause of the incident.