Turkish cargo ship with 12 crew members sinks in Black Sea

A Turkish cargo ship with 12 crew onboard sank off Turkey's Black Sea coast during a storm on November 19 and authorities have been unable to make contact with the crew, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said on November 20.

The captain of the Turkish-flagged Kafkametler had reported on Sunday morning that the ship was drifting toward a breakwater off Eregli, in northwest Turkey's Zonguldak province, the provincial governor's office said earlier.

Mr. Yerlikaya said the ship sunk after hitting the breakwater. The region was hit by powerful storms on Sunday and the governor's office said the bad weather prevented air and sea vessels from carrying out searches.