At least seven people have died after a passenger ferry carrying more than 260 people capsized off Northern Cyprus on Sunday, according to Turkish media reports. Northern Cyprus Prime Minister Unal Ustel said 237 people had been rescued, while 23 people were still missing. A total of 267 people, including crew members, were on the vessel when it overturned. The catamaran-style ferry had left Kyrenia, also known as Girne, for Tasucu in Turkiye’s southern Mersin province.
Ferry Began Taking On Water Shortly After Leaving Port
The vessel reportedly departed Girne at around 12:30 pm local time, or 09:30 GMT. It began taking on water only a short time after leaving the port.
“The captain issued a distress call” after the ferry started sinking. The alert triggered an immediate response from coastguard and port authorities. The exact cause of the incident remains unknown. Northern Cyprus Transport Minister Erhan Arikli said the cause would be investigated.
Coastguard, Turkish Navy Join Rescue Operation
A major search and rescue operation is under way off the coast of Northern Cyprus. The coastguard command has deployed passenger ships, five pilotage units and two helicopters. Turkish naval forces have also sent six naval units to assist in the operation.
“There has been a huge deployment to the area as part of the search and rescue effort affiliated with the Northern Cyprus coastguard command,” Al Jazeera correspondent Resul Serdar said. Rescue teams are bringing injured passengers to Girne’s port. They are then being taken to local hospitals for treatment.
Erdogan Says Turkiye Has Mobilised ‘All Its Resources’
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan expressed condolences to the victims and said Turkiye had “mobilised all its resources” for the rescue operation. Hospitals across Northern Cyprus have also been placed on alert.
“All necessary preparations are being made for a swift response from rescue and health services,” the territory’s Health Ministry said.
The Republic of Cyprus has offered to help. Government spokesman Konstantinos Letymbiotis said Nicosia was ready to provide “immediate assistance”, adding that “the protection of human life is above all else.”
There are imaged showed by Turkish television which has overturned fry in the sea as several people wearing life jackets and sitting on its orange hull as rescue boats moved around the vessel. The incident comes as Erdogan is scheduled to visit Northern Cyprus on Monday.
Sudeep Singh Rawat is a Copy Editor at NewsX Digital with over five years of experience in digital journalism. He covers national and international news, with a focus on politics, crime, technology, public affairs, and trending topics. Before joining NewsX Digital, he worked with Business Standard, The Sunday Guardian, and other digital media organisations. His reporting focuses on breaking news, enterprise stories, and explainers that inform readers through accurate, balanced, and context-driven journalism.
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