8 Dead 18 Missing After Cyprus Ferry Capsizes

8 Dead, 18 Missing After Cyprus Ferry Capsizes

Rescuers Search for Missing Passengers After Deadly Accident

Rescue teams continued searching off Northern Cyprus on Monday after a ferry carrying 267 people capsized shortly after leaving the port of Girne, also known as Kyrenia, for the Turkish mainland. Authorities said eight people had died while 18 others remained missing.

Ferry Capsized Shortly After Leaving Port

The ferry departed Girne around midday on Sunday and was travelling toward Türkiye when it capsized only a short time after leaving the port. The accident triggered a large-scale search and rescue operation involving Turkish vessels and rescue teams.

According to local authorities, 241 people were rescued from the incident. Eight people were confirmed dead, while 18 remained unaccounted for. Officials had not immediately released information about the nationalities of those missing or those rescued.

Survivors Describe Terrifying Moments

Several survivors told local media that they heard what sounded like an explosion shortly before the ferry rolled over. Other passengers said the vessel appeared to be taking on water before it capsized several nautical miles into the journey.

Video footage broadcast by Turkish television showed survivors wearing life jackets and sitting on top of the ferry's orange hull after it overturned. The vessel later sank completely into the Mediterranean.

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Ferry Now Lies Deep Underwater

Northern Cyprus Transport Minister Erhan Arikli said the ferry sank to a depth of about 514 metres, or approximately 1,686 feet. Authorities believe recovering the vessel's black box could be important in determining exactly what caused the disaster.

Survivors have raised concerns about the availability of safety equipment during the emergency. One passenger told CNN Turk that some people had to jump into the water without lifebuoys or life jackets as they tried to escape the sinking vessel.

Captain and Others Arrested

Police detained the ferry's captain and more than a dozen other people following the accident. The captain and eight others were brought before a judge early Monday and formally arrested, according to the official TAK news agency.

Northern Cyprus has also declared three days of national mourning following the tragedy. Authorities are continuing their investigation while rescue teams search for passengers who remain missing.

Major Search and Rescue Operation Continues

The search operation is being conducted in waters near the northern port of Girne. Rescue teams are working to locate the missing passengers and gather information about what happened during the ferry's final moments above water.

The recovery of the ferry's black box could provide investigators with crucial information about the vessel's condition, the reported blast and the circumstances that led to the rapid capsizing.

Cyprus Remains a Divided Island

The ferry disaster occurred in Northern Cyprus, a region that has been politically divided from the southern part of the island for decades. Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Türkiye intervened following a coup in the Republic of Cyprus that was backed by the military government in Athens.

The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus declared independence in 1983 but is recognized internationally only by Türkiye. The internationally recognized Republic of Cyprus controls the southern part of the island and is a member of the European Union.