NEARLY 20 STILL MISSING AFTER NORTH CYPRUS FERRY CAPSIZE KILLS EIGHT

 NICOSIA

Nearly 20 people remained missing on Monday after a ferry capsized off northern Cyprus, killing at least eight people and triggering a major search operation in deep waters, with divers joining coastguard teams in the hunt for possible survivors.

The double-hulled ferry, carrying 267 people, ran into trouble shortly after leaving the port of Kyrenia on Sunday. The vessel was heading towards the Turkish port of Tasucu in Mersin province when it began taking on water and eventually overturned. Survivors were left clinging to the upturned hull before being rescued by passing vessels and coastguard authorities.

The exact cause of the accident remained unclear as search operations continued. Authorities have detained the ferry’s captain and crew for questioning while investigators work to determine what caused the vessel to take on water and capsize.

The incident has left families anxiously waiting for information about passengers who have not yet been accounted for. At the port, relatives and friends gathered through the night, checking their phones and waiting for updates on those still missing.

Naif Ezer, who was waiting at the port, said he had been there for around 12 hours or more seeking information about passengers. He said that of three friends travelling home to see their families, one had been found while the other two remained missing.

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The ferry left Kyrenia at around 12.30 pm local time on Sunday and was travelling towards Tasucu when the emergency unfolded. According to authorities, the vessel started taking on water shortly after departure. Reports from survivors indicated that the ferry moved erratically before a heavy impact on the sea surface caused part of the bow to break open, allowing water to enter the vessel.

The ferry has since sunk to the seabed, complicating efforts to establish whether anyone remains trapped inside. The wreck is lying at a depth of more than 500 metres, making the search and rescue operation particularly difficult.

Turkish divers joined the operation on Monday as authorities expanded the effort to locate the missing passengers. Coastguard teams and other search units were scouring the surrounding waters while rescue efforts continued.

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The number of missing people was reported slightly differently by authorities, with estimates ranging from 18 to 19. At least eight people were confirmed dead. The uncertainty over the exact number of missing passengers reflects the difficulty of accounting for everyone after a maritime disaster involving hundreds of people.

The ferry was carrying 259 passengers and eight crew members, according to figures cited by Reuters. The vessel was one of the shuttle services operating between northern Cyprus and Turkey. The route connects Kyrenia with Tasucu, across the eastern Mediterranean, and is used by passengers travelling between the two sides.

The accident occurred close to Kyrenia, a major coastal city in northern Cyprus. Survivors were seen clinging to the overturned vessel after the ferry capsized, with rescue teams and passing ships working to bring them to safety.

The disaster has also raised questions about the circumstances surrounding the ferry’s final journey. While some reports have pointed to adverse weather conditions, there have been differing accounts about the conditions at sea at the time of the accident. Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhurman urged people not to speculate about the cause before the investigation establishes what happened.
Authorities have launched an investigation and detained the captain and crew. Their questioning is expected to form part of the effort to establish how the vessel began taking on water so soon after leaving port and whether any operational or safety issues contributed to the disaster.

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For those rescued, the incident was marked by a sudden struggle for survival. Passengers found themselves in the sea after the vessel overturned, while others remained on the hull awaiting assistance.

The scale of the operation has increased as authorities confront the possibility that some passengers could still be inside the sunken vessel. Reaching the wreck at a depth of more than 500 metres presents significant technical challenges, and authorities are using divers and other search technologies in an effort to locate those who remain unaccounted for.

The search is continuing as families wait for confirmation about their missing relatives. At the port, the atmosphere remained tense, with people receiving fragmentary updates while rescue teams worked offshore. The tragedy has also prompted a wider focus on maritime safety along the busy sea route linking northern Cyprus and Turkey. The ferry was operating a regular connection, making the sudden accident particularly significant for passengers and communities that rely on maritime transport between the two locations.

For now, however, the priority remains the search for the missing. Authorities have said efforts will continue as teams examine the waters around the sunken ferry and seek any possible survivors or additional victims. The eight confirmed deaths have already made the incident a major maritime tragedy, but the final toll remains uncertain while nearly 20 people are still unaccounted for. The investigation into the ferry’s condition, its departure, the weather and the events that caused it to overturn is expected to provide more answers in the coming days.

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As divers and search teams continue working in difficult conditions, families remain at the centre of the unfolding crisis, waiting for news about loved ones whose whereabouts are still unknown. The recovery operation will continue until authorities have accounted for those who remain missing and established the circumstances behind one of the region’s most serious recent ferry accidents.

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