Ferry Capsizes Off Northern Cyprus: At Least 7 Dead, 23 Missing

At least seven people are confirmed dead and 23 remain missing after a ferry capsized off the northern coast of Cyprus, according to local authorities. The vessel, carrying nearly 270 passengers and crew, sank under unclear circumstances, prompting an extensive search and rescue operation in Turkish-occupied northern Cyprus.

Ünal Üstel, the prime minister of the self-declared Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), announced on Sunday that 237 people had been rescued. Speaking to state-run TRT news, Üstel said search teams were still working to locate the 23 missing individuals. Tufan Erhürman, the Turkish Cypriot leader, described the situation as dire, noting that reaching survivors trapped inside the vessel was extremely challenging due to its depth. "If there are people still inside the vessel, reaching them does not appear easy at the moment," he said. "Efforts are being made using other technologies to locate them."

The catamaran-style ferry, operated by Filo Denizcilik, had departed from Kyrenia (also known as Girne), a major port and tourist hub in northern Cyprus, bound for Taşucu in Mersin province, Turkey. According to Erhan Arıklı, the TRNC transport minister, the ferry sank to a depth of 514 meters. Kyrenia’s mayor, Murat Şenkul, confirmed the vessel belonged to Filo Denizcilik and that it began taking on water approximately 7.5 kilometers offshore near Diana Beach.

Mehmet Harmancı, mayor of Turkish-held northern Nicosia, called the incident the worst maritime disaster in the region since the TRNC declared independence more than 40 years ago. "We’ve not seen anything like this before," he told the Guardian. "It’s by far the worst tragedy." Harmancı added that most passengers were believed to be Turkish and Turkish Cypriot nationals.

As of Sunday evening, authorities had not released detailed casualty figures, including the number of injured. Injured survivors were being transported to hospitals in northern Nicosia. Video footage from the scene showed passengers in life jackets clinging to the overturned hull of the capsized ferry. The Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation reported the vessel was relatively new and that the captain had instructed passengers to wear life jackets after the ship began taking on water four nautical miles from shore.

Search and rescue efforts involved multiple agencies, including four coastguard vessels, a civilian passenger boat, five Turkish coastguard ships, and two helicopters, according to local officials. The operation was supported by international news agencies including the Associated Press, Agence France-Presse, and Reuters.

Authorities continue to investigate the cause of the sinking as the search for the missing persists.

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