A ferry carrying nearly 270 passengers and crew capsized off the coast of northern Cyprus on Sunday, in a disaster that has left at least seven people dead and dozens still unaccounted for, according to Turkish and Cypriot officials tracking the unfolding rescue effort.
The catamaran-style vessel, operated by the Filo Denizcilik ferry company, left the port of Kyrenia, also known as Girne, at around 12:30 p.m. local time, bound for the Turkish port of Tasucu in Mersin province. Authorities say the boat ran into adverse weather and began taking on water almost immediately, with a distress call going out roughly 15 minutes after it set sail.
A Rescue Race Against Rough Seas
Helicopters, coast guard vessels and nearby civilian boats were scrambled to the scene off Diana Beach on Cyprus' northern coast. Northern Cyprus Prime Minister Unal Ustel said more than 230 of the roughly 267 people on board had been pulled from the water by the evening, though the number of rescued and missing continued to shift as the search went on into the night.
Passengers Cling To The Capsized Hull
Video circulating from the scene showed survivors in life jackets sitting on top of the overturned hull, waiting to be reached by rescue crews. Diana Beach, where the ferry went down, is a popular holiday spot for both locals and tourists, and witnesses described chaotic scenes as ambulances and a medical tent were set up at Kyrenia's port to receive the injured.
A Vital Sea Link Between Cyprus And Turkey
The route is one of several daily shuttle services connecting the Turkish Cypriot-administered north of the island with mainland Turkey, and is heavily used by both residents and holidaymakers. Officials have not yet confirmed what caused the vessel to take on water so quickly, and have urged the public not to speculate while the investigation is underway.
A Cross-Border Response
In a sign of the human stakes overriding the island's long-running political divide, the office of Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides offered the Republic of Cyprus' resources and operational capacity to assist, while Turkey's ambassador to Nicosia said several casualties had been confirmed without giving an exact figure.
The capsizing is the second maritime scare in Cypriot waters in as many days. A storm on Saturday sent three separate boats onto rocks off the island's southeastern coast, killing one person, a grim prelude to Sunday's much larger disaster as search teams continue combing the water for those still missing.