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Update: 8 Crew Members Missing As Freighter Sinks Off Turkey's Coast

Published Feb 1, 2012 11:55 AM by The Maritime Executive

Update - February 1, 2012:

It has now been confirmed that Turkish authorites have organized a team of divers, helicopters, and coast guard ships for a search and rescue mission for 8 missing crew members of a sunken cargo ship. The vessel sank in a storm off Turkey's Black Sea Coast, as reported yesterday.

Turkey's transportation ministry stated that Vera, a Cambodia-flagged cargo ship, sank due to bad weather conditions after anchoring near Eregli, Turkey. That region has been experiencing unusually cold weather and snow storms. Istanbul also suspended its high-speed sea bus service, which ferries passengers up and down the Bosphorus Strait and stretches of the Marmara Sea, according to a CNN report on the incident. 

Three of the eleven crew members were rescued. There were 10 Ukranians and a Georgian on board the vessel upon leaving Russia's Rostov port. The ship had a cargo of scrap metal.

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Initial Report: Tuesday, January 31, 2012

10 Polish crew members are missing after a freighter sank off Turkey’s Black Sea coast, according to The Associated Press.

The Cambodia-flagged ship was en route to the Aliaga port in Turkey from Russia. It sank off the coast of Eregli today. Two crew members were rescued, while coast guard officials are in the middle of a search mission for 10 other crew members who were on board.

Developing…