Captain and Third Officer Arrested on Negligent Homicide in Turkish Crash
Turkish prosecutors have moved quickly since the early Tuesday morning collision between a tanker and a cargo ship, reporting on Friday that a court has charged the master and third officer of the tanker Alsu with negligent homicide. The captain, who was not on the bridge, and the officer who was on watch were arrested late on Thursday for failing to fulfill the navigational safety obligations and take the necessary measures to prevent the collision.
Prosecutors presented the captain, several officers, and crewmembers to the district court in the Silivri region west of Istanbul on Thursday. Four of the crewmembers were released under court supervision while the captain and third officer were arrested. The authorities had detained a total of nine crewmembers after the collision, with only the ship’s cook not detained.
The preliminary findings of an expert panel that was assembled after the collision provided the basis for the arrest. According to Turkish media reports, the tanker Alsu was in command of a junior third officer who had just joined the vessel and was standing his first watch aboard the tanker. They asserted that he was unfamiliar with the ship’s navigation equipment. Some media reports said a trainee was acting as lookout, while others said there was no helmsman or lookout.
The report cites multiple issues with both vessels. The cargo ship Tugberk Imamoglu was not transmitting an AIS signal. It is unclear if the system was malfunctioning, and the expert panel said the loading condition of the cargo ship should be examined. The ship, which was carrying a cargo of 4,199 tons of rolled steel, is thought to have capsized and sunk within 10 minutes of the collision.
The captain of the Alsu was asleep and, in his testimony, said he awoke after the collision and went to find out what had happened. He is being charged for failing to fulfill his duty of supervision and oversight of navigation safety.
The junior third officer is charged with failing to take necessary measures to prevent the collision. Media reports indicate that about five minutes before the collision, the two ships spoke with each other, setting conditions for passing. Prosecutors said they would be listening to the recording of the conversation, and they have also ordered preservation of the navigation records and other information.
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Alcohol tests were conducted, and the media accounts said they were negative. Full blood tests had also been ordered.
The 10 crewmembers from the cargo ship remain missing despite an extensive search and rescue operation. The Turkish Navy reported on Friday that its vessel TCG Akin has located the wreck of the cargo ship. No additional details were provided on its location, depth, or condition. Reports had said the depth in the area is about 900 meters (2,950 feet).
