At least seven people have died after a passenger ferry carrying 267 people took on water and capsized off the coast of Kyrenia on Sunday afternoon.
The so-called prime minister of the north, Ünal Üstel, said that seven people have died, 237 have been rescued and searches are continuing for 23 others following the sinking of a passenger ship off Girne.
Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhürman said rescued passengers were immediately taken to hospitals and, according to information he received from the “Ministry of Health”, their condition did not appear to be serious.
“Within an hour, I will be able to provide much clearer answers to these questions. There are 23 people we have not managed to reach. The operations are continuing at a very intensive pace,” he said.
Erhürman added that the ship is located at a depth of more than 500 metres, noting that search and rescue operations are currently being carried out in areas closer to the sea surface.
The vessel, identified as the catamaran Express owned by Filo Denizcilik (Filo Jet), departed the port about an hour late after harbour authorities initially refused clearance due to severe weather. Shortly after leaving, the ferry was caught in a storm and began taking on water from its bow for reasons that remain under investigation. Initial reports from Turkish Cypriot media indicate that the aging fibreglass structure suffered severe damage, causing the ship to break in two and raising questions over whether its construction materials were suitable for navigation.
Turkish Cypriot “prime minister” Ünal Üstel confirmed in a broadcast to TRT that 237 people have been rescued so far, while seven bodies have been recovered. Search and rescue operations are ongoing for 23 missing individuals. Üstel noted that the vessel was carrying 259 passengers and eight crew members.
Search and rescue efforts are being supported by military units, coast guard vessels, private boats, and helicopters. Kyrenia “mayor” Murat Şenkul noted that many of those unaccounted for during initial headcounts were floating in life jackets awaiting pickup. Ambulances mobilised by health authorities remain on standby at Kyrenia Port, transferring survivors to nearby hospitals as anxious relatives gather at the dock.
The Republic of Cyprus offered immediate assistance through the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (JRCC), declaring its readiness to deploy aeronautical assets or assume control of the search operation to protect human life. President Nikos Christodoulides instructed the Greek Cypriot negotiator to convey the offer to the Turkish Cypriot leader via UNFICYP, with government sources emphasizing that all available resources must be deployed when lives are at risk.
Earlier, Turkish Ambassador to Nicosia Ali Murat Başçeri confirmed that emergency responders had brought a large number of passengers ashore safely.
