At least eight people died and dozens remained missing after a passenger ferry capsized and sank in the Mediterranean Sea off the northern coast of Cyprus on Sunday (ABC News). The catamaran-style ferry, named Filojet and operated by the Turkish shipping company Filo Denizcilik, was carrying a total of 267 people—comprising 259 passengers and eight crew members—when tragedy struck (AP News, DW).
Ferry Capsizes Off Northern Cyprus Leaving Eight Dead
The vessel had departed from the northern Cypriot port of Kyrenia, also known as Girne, at 11:58 a.m. local time, heading toward the Turkish port of Tasucu in Mersin province (Yahoo News, AP News). According to officials, the ship began taking on water just 15 minutes into the journey, going down about 4 nautical miles (7.5 kilometers) off the coast in waters roughly 500 meters (1,640 feet) deep (Yahoo News, AP News). TRT reported that the vessel ultimately sank to a depth of 514 meters (Yahoo News Singapore).
Captain and Crew Arrested Amid Survivor Accounts of Explosions
Police detained eight individuals, including the ferry captain and seven crew members, as part of an ongoing investigation into the sinking (Yahoo News Singapore, AP News). Unal Ustel, prime minister of the self-proclaimed Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), stated that the boat capsized after being struck by two waves (Yahoo News).
However, multiple survivors offered harrowing accounts of events leading up to the disaster, telling local media that a blast had occurred at the bow of the ferry before it rolled over, blowing out side windows and causing seats to float (Yahoo News Singapore, Daily Mail). Passengers reported that the crew ignored early warnings about water leaking into the vessel, and that life jackets were in short supply, forcing some to jump into the water without buoyancy aids (Daily Mail). Some witnesses claimed the captain was among the first to abandon ship without organizing rescue efforts (Yahoo News Singapore).
Contrasting views on the weather surrounded the incident; while Ustel and other reports cited adverse weather and fierce storms that had battered Cyprus, Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhurman maintained that weather conditions were not bad
and urged against premature speculation (Yahoo News, AP News).
Massive Search and Rescue Operation Underway
A major search-and-rescue operation involving coast guard vessels, helicopters, and navy ships was mobilized to locate survivors and the missing (Yahoo News, ABC News). The Turkish Interior Ministry deployed four Northern Cyprus coast guard vessels, a passenger ship, five Turkish Coast Guard Command vessels, two helicopters, and six Turkish navy ships to the disaster zone (ABC News).
Depending on the official figures cited, rescue tallies indicated that roughly 237 to 241 people were rescued, while estimates for the missing ranged between 18 and 23 individuals (Yahoo News, ABC News, DW). Hospitals in the territory, including Kyrenia Hospital where anxious families gathered, were placed on alert to receive the injured and survivors (Yahoo News Singapore, Daily Mail).
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Turkish Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz offered condolences and confirmed that Ankara was providing full support and coordinating rescue efforts (Yahoo News Singapore, AP News). Authorities in the TRNC announced a three-day national mourning period beginning Monday (ABC News).
