At least seven people have died and 23 remain missing after a passenger ferry capsized off northern Cyprus, according to the head of the Turkish administration in the territory.
Ünal Üstel said the privately operated vessel was carrying 259 passengers and eight crew members when it started taking on water after departing from Kyrenia, a coastal holiday resort. Search and rescue teams, supported by Turkish authorities, are continuing efforts to locate those still unaccounted for.
Local media reported that the ferry left Kyrenia at about 12:30 local time. Üstel said it had been due to travel to Turkey the previous day but was delayed because of poor weather.
Speaking to Turkish broadcaster TRT, Üstel said the vessel was struck by two waves. He said the captain was attempting to recover after the first wave when a second hit, after which the ferry began taking on water and later capsized.
Rescue operation continues
Helicopters, coastguard vessels and ambulances were deployed as rescuers worked around the site near the port. Erhan Arikli, the transport minister in northern Cyprus, told local media that 100 passengers had been brought ashore.
Arikli later told TRT that the ferry had completely sunk. Images broadcast by local television showed people in life jackets on the overturned hull before the vessel went under.
The captain and seven crew members have been detained as investigators examine the circumstances of the disaster, Üstel said. He said authorities would investigate any negligence and that those found responsible would not be spared. Turkish media reported that the death toll had risen to eight, but Üstel’s stated figure was at least seven.
Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan expressed condolences to Turkish Cypriots and said search efforts were continuing in co-operation with authorities in northern Cyprus. The nationalities of those aboard and the condition of injured passengers have not been made clear. A hotline has been established for relatives seeking information.
Source: BBC News
