At least eight people were killed and more than a dozen others remained missing after a ferry carrying 267 passengers and crew capsized off the coast of Cyprus on Sunday, authorities said.
The large ferry started taking on water about 15 minutes after leaving port in difficult weather, Turkish Cypriot Prime Minister Ünal Üstel told Turkish state broadcaster TRT.
A distress call went out soon after the catamaran-style vessel, which was headed for the Turkish port of Tasucu, began sinking near Diana beach on Cyprus’ northern coast.
Officials said 241 people had been rescued from the 267 people aboard, while search teams continued racing to find 18 others still unaccounted for.
The ferry, operated by Filo Denizcilik, sank to a depth of about 1,640 feet, complicating rescue and recovery efforts.
Disturbing video from the scene showed people wearing life vests bobbing in the water near the overturned vessel. Survivors said the ferry had been moving erratically before slamming hard against the water, causing the bow to break and water to rush in.
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Police have detained eight people, including the ferry’s captain, as part of the investigation into the disaster, Üstel said.
In the hours after the sinking, anxious relatives gathered outside a hospital in Kyrenia, waiting for updates on family members and friends who had been on board.
Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhurman contended that weather conditions when the ferry capsized “were not bad” and urged against speculating about the cause of the deadly accident.
“In these trying times, our thoughts are with those who lost their lives, those who were injured, and all those who are living this tragedy,” Cyprus government spokesperson Constantinos Letymbiotis said in a post on X.
“At such times, the protection of human life is paramount.”
With Post wires
