At least eight dead after ferry carrying 267 capsizes off North Cyprus

At least eight people died and 18 remained missing after a privately owned ferry carrying around 270 passengers and crew capsized off the coast of Kyrenia on Sunday, leaving survivors clinging to its overturned hull as authorities launched a major search and rescue operation.

The ferry, operated by Filo Jet, was travelling from Kyrenia to the Turkish port of Tasucu in the eastern Mediterranean when it overturned about four miles from Kyrenia port. The vessel had left at around 12:30 p.m. local time, authorities said.

Rescue operation under way

The vessel was carrying 259 passengers and eight crew members, according to a statement from the Turkish Cypriot Interior Ministry. A total of 241 people were rescued, while 18 remained missing.

Earlier figures given by Ünal Üstel, prime minister of the self-declared Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, said seven people had died, 237 had been rescued and 23 remained missing.

“Our search and rescue operations to locate the 23 missing persons continue without interruption, with all our resources mobilized,” Üstel said in a statement on X.

Four Turkish Cypriot coast guard vessels and a civilian passenger boat were deployed to the scene, along with five Turkish coastguard vessels and two helicopters, the Turkish Cypriot Interior Ministry said.

The Turkish Interior Ministry said that several marine and naval vessels had been deployed to search for missing people.

Video footage showed survivors wearing red life jackets sitting or standing on top of the overturned vessel while coastguard and private vessels worked to bring them ashore.

Survivors describe violent movement

The ferry was one of several daily shuttle services connecting North Cyprus, a breakaway Turkish Cypriot state recognised only by Turkey, with Turkey.

Survivors said the vessel had been moving erratically before it capsized. Efe Multici, a survivor, told CNN Turk that the ferry had repeatedly lifted out of the water and slammed back down.

“The vessel had been moving very badly. It was constantly lifting out of the water and slamming back down. It was shaking violently,” Multici said.

“Three or four minutes later, the ferry leapt high into the air, then came crashing down. The front left side burst open and water started pouring in.”

The 131-foot-long vessel had been scheduled to leave Kyrenia at 11:58 a.m. and arrive in Tasucu at 5:52 p.m. local time, according to the BBC.

Phile News reported that the vessel was ageing and had allegedly suffered significant damage to its fibreglass structure, causing it to break in two. The official cause of the capsize was not immediately known.

Captain and crew detained

Turkish Cypriot authorities said the captain and seven crew members had been detained for questioning as part of an investigation.

By late afternoon, the ferry had sunk and settled on the seabed at a depth of 514 metres (1,686 feet), authorities said. Divers from Turkey were expected to assist with the search.

“Search and rescue efforts will continue until the very end, until all people are reached,” Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhurman told journalists after a crisis management meeting.

Erhurman said he was “deeply saddened” by the incident.

Asked about the possible cause of the capsize, Erhurman referred to fierce storms that had battered Cyprus on Saturday but said weather conditions on Sunday had been considered suitable for travel.

“There is a great sense of shock here. This is not something we have experienced before,” he said.

One person died in the island's south-east on Saturday after his sailboat crashed onto rocks in rough seas.

Cyprus divided since 1974

North Cyprus is a breakaway state recognised only by Turkey, which supports the territory economically and militarily.

Cyprus has been divided along Greek and Turkish Cypriot lines since 1974, when Turkey invaded following a brief Greek-inspired coup.

The ferry disaster sent shockwaves through the territory as search teams continued efforts to locate those still missing.