A tour boat carrying 148 passengers and crew sank off the resort city of Marmaris on the Turkish Riviera while on a scheduled voyage on Friday, May 29.
Local media reported that the 28-metre Big Boss Diamond had departed Marmaris on a five-hour journey to the Nimara Peninsula on the afternoon (local time) of Friday when it suddenly tilted to one side and began taking on water.
The tour boat's crew then advised the passengers to don lifejackets while Good Samaritan vessels arrived in the area to assist in the evacuation.
The tour boat's occupants were brought aboard the Good Samaritan vessels. A number of passengers had reportedly already jumped overboard before the evacuation began but were eventually pulled out of the water and brought ashore along with the other passengers.
The tour boat completely sank approximately one hour after the flooding started. All 148 of the passengers and crew were meanwhile safely rescued, though some have been treated for minor injuries and shock.
Some passengers later said that they heard an explosion coming from the vessel's engine room just before it tilted.
