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Eight people have died and 237 to 250 have been rescued after a passenger ferry carrying 267 people took on water and capsized off Girne (Kyrenia) on Sunday, Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) Prime Minister Unal Ustel said.
Search-and-rescue operations are continuing for 17 people who remain unaccounted for.
The Filo Denizcilik-operated FILOJET was traveling from Girne Port to Mersin’s Tasucu Port with 259 passengers and eight crew members when it began taking on water.
Ustel said all state resources had been mobilized and a crisis desk established to coordinate the response. Injured passengers rescued from the sea were taken to hospitals, with the TRNC Health Ministry closely monitoring their condition.
“Every institution of our state is in the field. We are continuing the search-and-rescue operations with great sensitivity and closely following developments,” Ustel said.
Ustel said the ferry had initially been scheduled to travel to Türkiye on Saturday, but the journey was postponed because of weather conditions.
“The ship was supposed to go to Türkiye yesterday, but it went today because of the weather conditions. The first wave hit at sea, and while the captain was trying to save the ship, it began taking on water with the second wave,” he said.
Earlier reports said the captain noticed water entering from the rear of the vessel and attempted to return toward Girne but was unsuccessful.
The ferry had departed Girne Port at around 12:30 p.m.
The Turkish Interior Ministry said the vessel began taking on water about four nautical miles off Girne Port. Earlier reports gave different locations, with Ihlas News Agency saying the catamaran sank about 2.5 kilometers off the coast and the TRNC Security Forces Command saying it listed about 8 kilometers from the port.
Authorities are investigating what caused the vessel to capsize.
The TRNC Security Forces Command said the Security Forces, Coast Guard, Civil Defense Organization and Police General Directorate were responding with all available maritime and air assets.
Türkiye’s Interior Ministry said four vessels from the TRNC Coast Guard and the passenger ship AKGUNLER 3 were deployed to the area.
Türkiye’s Coast Guard Command also sent five vessels and two helicopters, while the Turkish Naval Forces assigned six naval units to support the operation.
Türkiye’s Ambassador to Lefkosa, Ali Murat Basceri, earlier said two Coast Guard helicopters, two boats, a diving team and two nearby Turkish Navy ships had joined the rescue efforts.
Civilian fishing boats and other vessels also rushed to the area to assist. Witnesses earlier said some passengers jumped into the sea after the ferry began taking on water.
250 of the 267 people aboard had been rescued, eight had died and search-and-rescue teams were continuing efforts to find the remaining 17.
He said numerous teams were involved in the operation and that injured people rescued from the sea were receiving treatment in hospitals.
The TRNC Health Ministry said maximum personnel had been mobilized and preparations completed at Girne Port as well as public and private hospitals to respond to medical needs.
Public Works and Transportation Minister Erhan Arikli earlier said rescued passengers were being brought to Girne Port before being transferred to hospitals based on their condition.
Ustel expressed condolences to the families and relatives of those killed and wished a speedy recovery to the injured, adding that confirmed information would continue to be shared with the public.
Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz said Türkiye was closely following the incident and providing all necessary assistance to the search-and-rescue operation.
Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmus also expressed condolences to the families of those killed and said he hoped the ongoing operation would result in the safe rescue of the remaining passengers and crew.
Search-and-rescue operations for the 17 missing people remained underway.
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