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

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

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.

“When the adverse weather conditions improve, search and rescue activities will start immediately,” Yerlikaya told reporters.

Reuters