A Turkish merchant ship has collided with a ferry off the coast of Albania, leaving eight sailors from the Turkish ship missing.

The Maltese-flagged Turkish vessel, the Reina 1, sank immediately after the collision Thursday in the Adriatic Sea, about 30 kilometers off the Albanian port of Durres.

Two rescued crew members said the merchant ship, which was traveling to Montenegro, had been carrying a crew of 10.

No one from the ferry was reported injured in the crash. It had been sailing from Durres to Bari, Italy.

Police, military ships and helicopters are undertaking a search-and-rescue operation.