Northern Cyprus ferry capsizing has left at least seven people dead and 23 others missing after a passenger vessel overturned off the coast of Kyrenia on Sunday.
Rescue teams pulled 237 people from the water or the overturned vessel after the ferry began taking on water during its journey from Kyrenia, also known as Girne, to Tasucu in Turkey’s Mersin province.
The privately operated Filo Jet was carrying 267 people when the incident happened. There were 259 passengers and eight crew members on board, according to the Turkish Cypriot Interior Ministry.
The ferry was about four nautical miles from the coast when it began taking on water.
Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhurman said seven bodies had been recovered while rescue teams continued searching for 23 people who remained unaccounted for.
“We have reached 237 people alive,” Erhurman told CNN Turk. “We have still not been able to reach 23 people.”
The numbers could change as the search continues and authorities establish the identities of those rescued, missing and killed.
The emergency response involved coastguard teams, naval vessels, helicopters, medical workers and civilian boats.
Four Turkish Cypriot coastguard vessels joined the operation, along with a civilian passenger ship, five Turkish coastguard vessels and two helicopters. Six Turkish naval vessels were also assigned to support the rescue effort, according to Turkey’s Interior Ministry.
Footage from the scene showed survivors wearing life jackets on top of the overturned ferry. Some passengers were standing while others sat on the exposed hull as rescue vessels moved towards them.
Survivors were taken back to shore by boats and helicopters.
The rescue operation began after the ferry’s captain sent a distress call when the vessel started taking on water. Coastguard and port authorities then moved to the area.
Turkish Cypriot Prime Minister Unal Ustel said emergency services, security forces and medical teams had been placed under a crisis management operation.
“Our sole priority right now is human life,” Ustel said.
The exact cause of the accident has not yet been established.
The ferry left Kyrenia around midday and reportedly began taking on water not long after departure. Authorities have not said whether the problem was caused by a mechanical failure, damage to the vessel, flooding or another issue.
Northern Cyprus Transport Minister Erhan Arikli said an investigation would examine why the ferry began taking on water.
That investigation will be important because the vessel was only a short distance from the coast when the emergency began. It should help establish what happened inside the ship before it overturned and whether there were warning signs before the distress call was made.
At this stage, there is no confirmed explanation for the accident.
The ferry accident came one day after storms affected Cyprus.
However, Erhurman said weather conditions on Sunday had been considered suitable for travel. This means authorities have not linked the capsizing to the previous day’s storms.
Weather conditions will nevertheless form part of the investigation, particularly because sea conditions can change quickly and can affect a vessel that is already experiencing problems.
For now, officials have not identified weather as the cause.
The accident is likely to raise wider questions about passenger safety, vessel inspections and emergency procedures on ferry routes between northern Cyprus and Turkey.
Ferries carry large numbers of people, so even an incident close to shore can quickly become a major emergency. The fact that hundreds of people were on board also explains the scale of the rescue operation.
The immediate priority remains finding the missing passengers. Once the search is completed, investigators are expected to focus on why the ferry took on water and how quickly the situation developed.
Those findings will matter not only for the Filo Jet but also for other passenger services operating similar routes.
Northern Cyprus is administered by Turkish Cypriot authorities and is recognised as a state only by Turkey.
The territory is internationally recognised as part of the Republic of Cyprus, while the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus was declared in 1983 and is recognised diplomatically only by Turkey.
The political status of the territory does not change the immediate nature of the emergency. Rescue teams from Turkish Cypriot authorities and Turkey were involved in the response as officials worked to locate those still missing.
The search remains the central focus as authorities try to account for everyone who was on board.
What we know so far
- Seven people have been confirmed dead.
- 23 people remain missing, according to Turkish Cypriot authorities.
- 237 people have been rescued alive.
- 267 people were on the ferry.
- The vessel was carrying 259 passengers and eight crew members.
- The ferry was travelling from Kyrenia to Tasucu, Turkey.
- It began taking on water about four nautical miles from the coast.
- The cause of the accident has not yet been confirmed.
- Coastguard vessels, helicopters, naval vessels and civilian boats took part in the rescue.
- Authorities have launched an investigation into why the ferry began taking on water.
The immediate rescue effort has saved hundreds of lives, but the unanswered questions surrounding the accident remain.
Investigators will need to establish what caused the vessel to take on water, how quickly the flooding developed and why the ferry ultimately overturned. They will also need to examine the vessel’s condition, safety systems and operating procedures.
For the families of those still missing, however, the investigation is secondary right now. The search at sea remains the most urgent task.
The final death toll may also change as rescue teams continue searching the waters around Kyrenia.
