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Eight Killed, 18 Missing As Ferry Capsizes Off Northern Cyprus
At least eight people have died and 18 others remain missing after a passenger ferry capsizes off northern Cyprus, according to the head of the Turkish administration there.
Ünal Üstel, prime minister of the self-proclaimed Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, says the ferry is carrying 259 passengers and eight crew members when it begins taking on water after departing the coastal town of Kyrenia on Sunday.
The ship’s captain and seven crew members are detained as part of an investigation into “how this tragedy occurred”, Üstel says in a social media post.
Officials say the vast majority of those on board are rescued, while Turkish and northern Cypriot authorities continue a search-and-rescue operation for those still missing.
The ferry has now sunk, with authorities attempting to recover its black box recorder to determine what happened.
The privately owned vessel leaves the popular holiday resort of Kyrenia at about 12:30 local time (09:30 GMT).
Üstel says the ferry is scheduled to travel to Turkey on Saturday but is delayed because of poor weather.
He tells Turkish media outlet TRT that the vessel is hit by two waves before capsizing.
While the captain is attempting to recover from the first wave, a second wave strikes the ferry and it begins taking on water, Üstel says.
Helicopters and coastguard boats are dispatched to the scene, while ambulances are stationed on the beach to receive rescued passengers.
Üstel says the “priority right now is human life”, adding that security forces, rescue teams and health officials are all at the scene.
He promises a thorough investigation, saying “even the slightest negligence will be uncovered”.
“No one will be spared, regardless of who they are, who is found to be at fault or responsible,” Üstel says.
Erhan Arıklı, transport minister of the self-declared Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), which is recognised only by Turkey, tells local media that 100 passengers have been taken to shore.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan sends his condolences to Turkish Cypriots and says efforts to reach those still missing “continue uninterrupted”.
“Immediately after the accident, we launched extensive search-and-rescue operations in co-operation with the authorities of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus,” he says at a military ceremony on Sunday.
Mustafa Koc rescues around 65 people with his boat after the ferry capsizes.
Speaking to the BBC, he says he believes the crew should have waited for calmer conditions.
“It wasn’t safe for them,” he says. “The sea was quite choppy.”
Koc adds: “People died. It’s not right.”
He says the ferry arrives in Kyrenia on Saturday and “had some damage in the front”.
The ferry is a high-speed Filo Jet vessel measuring 40 metres long and 10 metres wide, and sails under the Turkish flag, according to Marine Traffic.
Filo Denizcilik, the company operating the capsized passenger vessel, says it is “deeply saddened by the tragic accident”.
A hotline is established to provide relatives of passengers with information, while the nationalities of those on board and the condition of the injured remain unclear.
Local television broadcasts images showing the overturned ferry in the water, with people in life jackets sitting on top of its hull.
Arıklı later tells TRT on Sunday evening that the vessel has completely sunk.
The TRNC controls the northern third of Cyprus and is recognised only by Turkey. The island has remained divided since 1974.
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