At least eight people died, and over a dozen are still missing after a ferry carrying nearly 270 people capsized off the coast of Cyprus on Sunday, according to authorities.
The massive ferry began taking on water 15 minutes after departing during adverse weather conditions, Unal Ustel, the north Turkish’s Cypriot prime minister, told Turkish state broadcaster TRT.
A call for help was issued shortly after the catamaran-style ferry bound for the Turkish port of Tasucu began to sink off the coast of Diana beach on Cyprus’ northern coast.
Of the 267 passengers and crew on board, 241 people have been rescued. A desperate search remains underway for 18 people, officials said.
The ship, which belonged to the Filo Denizcilik ferry company, sank 1,640 feet below the surface, hindering search efforts.
Harrowing footage captured people in life vests floating in water around the capsized vessel. Survivors reported that the ferry was moving erratically, and that it crashed down hard on the water’s surface — causing its bow to break before it began taking on water.
Eight people have been detained by police, including the ferry captain, amid a probe into the sinking, Ustel said.
Hours after the tragic incident, panicked relatives waited outside a local hospital in Kyrenia to wait for news about their loved ones.
Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhurman contended that weather conditions when the ferry capsized “were not bad” and urged against speculating about the cause of the deadly accident.
“In these trying times, our thoughts are with those who lost their lives, those who were injured, and all those who are living this tragedy,” Cyprus government spokesperson Constantinos Letymbiotis said in a post on X.
“At such times, the protection of human life is paramount.”
With Post wires
