Sunken cargo ship in Marmara Sea located

BURSA

Teams on Feb. 16 identified the location of the wreckage of the "Batuhan A" cargo ship that sank in the Marmara Sea as the extensive search continues for the six missing crew members.

The vessel carrying marble powder from Marmara Island in Balıkesir to Bursa in northwest Türkiye on Feb. 15 took on water and sank off Imralı island, south of Istanbul after getting caught in a storm.

Following hours-long efforts, the Turkish navy detected a shipwreck at a depth of 51 meters, with authorities on Feb. 16 confirming the wreck belonged to the sunken vessel.

While the site where the 69-meter cargo ship sank was determined, there is still no sign of the crew, local media reported.

News reports also indicated that search teams operating near the shore identified items such as life jackets and clothing believed to belong to the crew.

A large number of ships, tugboats, airplanes and helicopters are participating in the search and rescue operations, while a group of divers are set to carry out a rescue mission on Feb. 16.

The sunken ship is linked to a maritime company in Balıkesir's Bandırma district, local media reported, noting that the owner of the company is believed to have been onboard the vessel.

Reports also revealed that the same ship had run aground off the coast of Çanakkale three years ago, and its crew were rescued after a two-day rescue operation.