Istanbul: A ferry with 96 passengers and crew sank near Turkey's northwest port of Bandirma in the Sea of Marmara overnight and seven people were missing, Reuters reports.
Local fishermen joined rescue operations when the roll-on roll-off ferry, loaded with 73 trucks and two cars, went down after leaving Bandirma, in the province of Balikesir, for Istanbul.
The Marmara N Denizcilik ferry company said in a statement there were 67 passengers and 29 crew on board the vessel when it sank and that all but seven of the passengers had been rescued, the state Anatolian news agency reported.
Officials said the cause of the sinking was not immediately known, but that the ferry began leaning to one side as it pulled out of the port. The ship had left Bandirma at 11.15 p.m. (2015 GMT) on Sunday. [15/09/08]
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