1 die, 8 missing as Ukraine-bound ship sinks off southern Türkiye

One crew member died and eight others are reported missing after a Ukraine-bound cargo ship sank off southern Türkiye, a Turkish official said Wednesday. Two people from the ship, Joe 2, with a crew of 14 were rescued by a Turkish Coast Guard helicopter. Three were rescued by other commercial ships, according to Ersin Yazici, the governor of the Mediterranean province of Antalya. The Turkish Coast Guard said earlier that following an emergency call at 3.47 a.m. local time that the Guinea-Bisseou flagged commercial ship was about to sink, it dispatched a coast guard corvette, seven boats, two helicopters and an aircraft to the site. Search and rescue activities were supported by two frigates and two helicopters from the Turkish Naval Forces, it added. The 14 crew members were all Syrian nationals and the ship was carrying aluminum from Türkiye's southern Iskenderun port to Ukraine. Chief Public Prosecutor's Office in Kumluca launched an investigation concerning the incident.