Search teams continued rescue efforts on Monday for 18 missing people after a ferry capsized off the coast of northern Cyprus. The disaster left eight dead, with authorities placing the captain and eight others under formal arrest as three days of national mourning began.
Rescue Operations and Casualties After Northern Cyprus Ferry Disaster
A major rescue operation remains underway following the sinking of a privately owned ferry off the coast of northern Cyprus on Sunday. The vessel departed from the northern port of Kyrenia, also known as Girne, at approximately midday (09:00 GMT) on Sunday en route to the Turkish port of Tasucu in Mersin province. It was one of several daily sea shuttle links with Turkiye. Local authorities reported that 267 people were on board at the time, consisting of 259 passengers and eight crew members, when it encountered severe trouble shortly after departure.
While 241 individuals have been rescued, authorities confirmed that eight people died in the incident and another 18 remain listed as missing. Officials stated that 19 people are currently being treated at hospitals in northern Cyprus. The nationalities of the affected individuals have not been published. Debris remains scattered across the water, including a black wheelie suitcase bobbing on the surface and a sheet of steel that appeared to have broken away from the ferry. The boat has completely sunk and is lying at a depth of 514m (1,686ft), or a depth of more than 500 metres (1,640 ft), according to officials. It was not clear if people remained trapped on the vessel.
Survivors Describe Panic and Rising Waters
Passengers aboard the vessel recalled chaotic scenes as the ferry began taking on water about four nautical miles (7 kilometres), or 7.5km (4 nautical miles), into the journey. Survivors reported hearing an explosion or blast at the front of the boat shortly before the vessel rolled, while others noted that there was not enough safety equipment on board. Video footage from the scene broadcast by Turkish television showed the capsized ferry with passengers wearing life jackets sitting atop its orange hull.
Some people had to jump without lifebuoys or life jackets,
one young man, Efe Multici, told CNN Turk. It was literally a fight for survival.
Serkan Kunduraci, who escaped the sinking ferry by hauling himself through a broken window, told the DHA news agency that he saw children and others drowning in the sea. I saw some who didn’t know how to swim die in the sea,
he said, adding, We saw and witnessed a family’s children, boys and girls, very young children, drowning.
Rescuer Muhammed Ozcelik, who runs a water sports company, said his boat was one of the first on the scene and began hauling survivors from the sea. We tried to do more than we could. People were saying, ‘Take me too, take me too,’ but the capacity was full,
according to the Associated Press agency.
Arrests Made and National Mourning Declared
Authorities have taken swift legal action in response to the tragedy. Ünal Üstel, Prime Minister of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), which is only recognized by Turkey, announced a three-day period of national mourning. Early on Monday, the ship’s captain, seven crew members, and another man—making nine people in total—were brought before a judge where they were placed under formal arrest, according to the official state news agency TAK. Warrants have also been issued for a further seven people.
The privately owned ferry left the popular holiday resort of Kyrenia at about 12:30 (09:30 GMT). It had been scheduled to travel to Turkey on Saturday, but its journey was delayed due to poor weather conditions. Üstel told local media the boat was hit by two waves before it capsized. While the captain of the vessel was trying to recover from the first wave, a second wave hit and it began taking on water, he said.
Investigation Focuses on Recovering the Black Box
Divers from Turkiye were assisting the search, officials said. Investigators are focused on retrieving the sunken vessel’s data recorder to determine the sequence of events leading up to the capsizing.
Recovering the vessel’s “black box” data recorder would help understand what caused the incident, authorities said. Transport minister Erhan Arikli added that recovering the vessel’s “black box” would help understand what caused the tragedy.
Cyprus was split in 1974 when Turkey invaded and occupied the northern third of the island in response to an Athens-engineered Greek Cypriot coup seeking unification with Greece, and Turkish Cypriots declared independence from Greek control in 1983. Today the island comprises the self-styled Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), which is only recognised by Ankara, and the EU member Republic of Cyprus in the south, with more than 35,000 troops stationed in the north. The TRNC is served by regular air and sea links to Turkey.
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