3 Dead and 5 Missing from Ship Collision off Albania

On Thursday, three sailors have died, and five are left missing after a Turkish merchant vessel collided with a passenger ferry off of Albania.

Edmond Doraci, a nearby port captain, told Reuters that the 10 man crews of the merchant ship, only two are confirmed alive.  One sailor is confirmed dead, two were spotted lifeless in the Adriatic, and five are unaccounted for.  No one aboard the 200-passenger Ankara ferry was reported to be injured.

The Armador Gemi Isletmecilig-managed and Reina Shipping-owned Reina 1 hit the ferry about 18miles offshore from the Durres port early on Thursday morning.  The 3,300-ton ship loaded with grain in the Black Sea port of Novorossiysk was en route to Bar, Montenegro at the time of the collision.  Ahmet Bau, the Reina 1 captain, and his deputy Ahmet Saicip told Reuters that their ship went down in a mere 10 minutes following the accident. 

Hospital personnel in Durres have confirmed that the two survivors are in good health.  Police, military vessels, and helicopters are conducting a search and rescue operation for the five missing men. 

Police have not given information on the cause of the collision.