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The captain and seven crew members of a passenger ferry that capsized off the coast of Girne (Kyrenia) have been detained as part of an investigation into the disaster, the prime minister of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) said Sunday.
Eight people have died and up to 250 have been rescued after the vessel, carrying 267 people, took on water and capsized while sailing from Girne (Kyrenia) to Tasucu Port in Mersin, southern Türkiye.
Prime Minister Unal Ustel said search-and-rescue teams were continuing to look for 17 people still unaccounted for.
The ferry, named FILOJET and operated by Filo Denizcilik, was carrying 259 passengers and eight crew members when it began taking on water Sunday afternoon.
Authorities are now investigating what caused the capsizing, with the captain and seven other crew members taken into custody as part of that inquiry.
Ustel said the ferry's journey to Türkiye had originally been planned for Saturday but was postponed a day because of weather conditions.
"The ship was supposed to go to Türkiye yesterday, but it went today because of the weather conditions," he said, adding that a first wave struck the vessel at sea and, as the captain worked to keep it stable, a second wave caused it to begin taking on water.
Earlier accounts indicated the captain had noticed water entering through the rear of the ship and attempted to turn back toward Girne (Kyrenia) but could not make it to port.
The ferry had left Girne (Kyrenia) at around 12:30 p.m. local time.
Conflicting reports emerged over exactly where the vessel went down.
Türkiye's Interior Ministry placed the location about four nautical miles off Girne (Kyrenia) Port, while Ihlas News Agency reported the catamaran sank roughly 2.5 kilometers from shore. The TRNC Security Forces Command, meanwhile, said the ship listed about 8 kilometers out.
The TRNC Security Forces Command said its personnel, along with the Coast Guard, Civil Defense Organization and Police General Directorate, deployed all available maritime and air resources to the scene.
Türkiye's Interior Ministry said four TRNC Coast Guard vessels and the passenger ship Akgunler 3 joined the response, while Türkiye's Coast Guard Command sent five additional vessels and two helicopters. The Turkish Naval Forces assigned six naval units to assist.
Türkiye's ambassador to Lefkosa, Ali Murat Basceri, said two Coast Guard helicopters, two boats, a diving team and two nearby Turkish Navy ships had also joined the effort.
Civilian fishing boats and other private vessels rushed to help as well, and witnesses said some passengers jumped into the sea as the ferry began to founder.
Ustel said all state resources had been mobilized and that a crisis desk had been established to coordinate the response.
"Every institution of our state is in the field. We are continuing the search-and-rescue operations with great sensitivity and closely following developments," he said.
Of the 267 people aboard, between 237 and 250 were reported rescued, eight were confirmed dead, and 17 remained missing as search efforts continued.
Public Works and Transportation Minister Erhan Arikli said rescued passengers were first brought to Girne (Kyrenia) Port before being transferred to hospitals according to the severity of their injuries.
The TRNC Health Ministry said it had mobilized maximum personnel and made preparations at Girne (Kyrenia) Port and at public and private hospitals to receive and treat the injured.
Ustel offered condolences to the families of those killed and wished the injured a speedy recovery, saying confirmed information would continue to be shared with the public as it became available.
Turkish Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz said Ankara was closely monitoring the situation and providing all necessary assistance to the search-and-rescue effort.
Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmus also extended condolences to the victims' families and said he hoped the operation would lead to the safe rescue of those still missing.
As of Sunday evening, search-and-rescue operations for the 17 missing passengers and crew remained underway.
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