Rescue crew members are searching by sea and air for six members missing from a merchant vessel registered with Turkey, which sank in the waters of the Marmara Sea on Thursday, off northwest Turkey.

Per the Turkish Coast Guard, poor weather and sea conditions caused the 69-meter general cargo vessel Batuhan A to begin sinking at about 6:30 a.m. local time. The 1,090 dwt vessel was reportedly crewed by Turkish nationals and carried dry goods to Gemlik from Marmara Island.

Bu sabah 06.30’da Marmara Denizi’nde, Bursa Karacabey açıklarında içerisinde 6 mürettebat bulunan Batuhan A isimli bir ticari geminin ağır hava ve deniz şartları nedeniyle batmaya başladığı bilgisinin alınmıştır.

Olay mahalline derhal 2 Sahil Güvenlik Gemisi ve 2 Sahil Güvenlik… pic.twitter.com/E49wxcwMQF

— Ali Yerlikaya (@AliYerlikaya) February 15, 2024

Video Credits: Ali Yerlikaya/Twitter

The Coast Guard deployed two vessels (TCSG-313 and TCSG-85) as well as two boats (KB-4502 and TCSG-25) to scour the region while the DG of Coastal Safety also assigned two tugboats to the spot. Airplanes are aiding the search and rescue mission.

According to the Coast Guard, the 53-year-old vessel is thought to have sunk in the vicinity of where an empty lifeboat was located.

Rescue and search efforts are still in progress.

Reference: Barrons