A ferry carrying some 100 people sank in the Sea of Marmara late Sunday, killing at least one person, officials said. At least 23 more were missing.

The coast guard and fishing boats pulled 72 people out of the sea that separates the Aegean and the Black Sea, a government statement said.

The 390-foot ferry, which was loaded with 73 trucks and two cars, went down shortly after leaving the northwestern port of Bandirma on its way to Istanbul.

Most of the passengers jumped into the sea but authorities fear others may have been inside their vehicles when the ferry sank. Some of the survivors swam to shore, private Dogan news agency reported.

A 41-year-old man was confirmed dead and 28 people were taken to local hospitals, Bandirma Gov. Selahattin Hatipoglu told private NTV television. All crew members were safe.

“The search and rescue mission is going on, but the dark of the night is making it difficult,” Hatipoglu said.

Teams of divers and helicopters with night vision equipment were dispatched to Bandirma to help search for the missing.

Television footage showed a man with blood on his head, waiting to be treated. Coast guards lifted another man _ who appeared to be unconscious _ from a dinghy and handed him over to medics.

The ferry leaned to one side and then went down some 15 minutes after leaving the port at 11:30 p.m. local time, authorities said.

The vessel probably sank due to faulty loading or after some of its cargo moved to one side, reports said.

Police meanwhile detained the ship’s captain for questioning, Dogan reported.