Captain and crew arrested after at least eight die in Northern Cyprus ferry disaster – latest updates

From

At least eight dead and 17 missing after ferry capsizes off northern Cyprus

At least eight people have died and 17 remain missing following the capsizing of a ferry off the coast of northern Cyprus.

Ünal Üstel, the north’s Turkish Cypriot prime minister, told Turkish state broadcaster TRT that 237 people have so far been rescued. A search is underway for another 22 people, officials said.

The catamaran-style ferry was sailing from the port of Kyrenia, in the self-proclaimed Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, to the port of Taşucu in Turkey, when the disaster occurred about 4 nautical miles (7.5km) off the coast.

Key events

• 27m ago

  At least eight dead and 17 missing after ferry capsizes off northern Cyprus

• 1h ago

  Ferry captain and other crew members arrested

• 3h ago

  Death toll rises to at least nine, MP says

• 3h ago

  Capsized ferry off Northern Cyprus has 'completely sunk', minister says

• 5h ago

  Priority following 'tragic shipwreck' is reaching 23 missing passengers, region’s prime minister says

• 5h ago

  At least seven people reportedly die after ferry capsizes off northern Cyprus

• 5h ago

  Mayor describes Cyprus ferry incident as 'very serious'

Helena Smith

A senior Turkish Cypriot official has described the boat as “going down in record time”.

The source, who wished to remain anonymous said: “The captain, it seems, endeavoured to return to shore when it began taking on water but it soon began listing and then went down in record time.”

Ferry captain and other crew members arrested

Turkish media is reporting that the captain of the capsized ferry, along with seven crew members have been arrested and an investigation has been launched.

The prime minister of the breakaway Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, Ünal Üstel, vowed authorities will get to the bottom of the disaster saying: “There will not be a cover-up.”

The vessel had been travelling from the port of Kyrenia, in the north of divided Cyprus, to the port of Taşucu in Turkey and was carrying around 270 passengers when it capsized.

Death toll rises to at least nine, MP says

Helena Smith

Republican Turkish party MP Sami Ozuslu told the Guardian late on Sunday that the death toll had risen. “Sadly we are now hearing that there are nine or ten dead,” he said.

The families of passengers were converging on hospitals in Nicosia, Kyrenia and elsewhere, desperate for news of loved ones, he added.

“I met many relatives at the central hospital in Nicosia earlier today who were looking for family members among the missing,” he said after visiting the hospital with a delegation from the ruling party. “Everyone was in a state of shock.”

Ozuslu also revealed that three children were in intensive care, adding: “They are in intensive care but seem to be out of danger.”

Capsized ferry off Northern Cyprus has 'completely sunk', minister says

The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus’ transport minister said the ferry “completely sunk to a depth of 514 metres (1,686 feet)” when it capsized earlier today.

The minister, Erhan Arikli, told Turkish television network TRT that 161 people had been taken to hospital and 76 were back with their families. The ferry had departed the Cypriot port of Kyrenia (also known as Girne) for Tasucu, in southern Turkey.

The below image shows the catamaran-type Filo Jet vessel that capsized off the coast of northern Cyprus on Sunday. The picture was taken in September 2024.

We are unsure of what caused the ferry to capsize, the extent of the injuries of the wounded and the nationalities/identities of the seven people confirmed to have died. We will bring you any new information as it comes.

The Filo Denizcilik company, which operates the capsized passenger boat, has put out a statement saying it is “deeply saddened” by the “tragic accident”. It said the priority is the safety of the passengers and crew on board. The statement continued:

double quotation markFrom the moment the incident occurred, a crisis management team was established within our company, and all our resources were mobilized to the field in full coordination with all authorized search and rescue teams. Search and rescue and evacuation efforts are being carried out continuously and with the utmost care.

We share the great concern experienced by the families and loved ones of our passengers. A dedicated crisis and information hotline has been established to provide passengers’ relatives with timely and accurate information.

Helena Smith

Helena Smith, our correspondent in the region, has confirmed that injured passengers are being transferred to the main hospital in the island’s self-proclaimed Turkish Republic:

I have just spoken to Mehmet Harmanci, who as mayor of breakaway northern Nicosia, says he is overseeing efforts to gather warm clothes and other essentials for the wounded.

“There are 23 still missing and others who have also been injured although we don’t know to what degree,” he told the Guardian.

“The wounded are being sent to hospital here in (northern) Nicosia and we are gathering warm clothes for them.”

Harmanci described the disaster as the worst ever witnessed in the 43 years since the territory declared independence. “We have not seen anything like this before. It’s very serious,” he said.

Four Turkish Cypriot coast guard vessels and a civilian passenger boat have been deployed to the scene, along with five Turkish coastguard vessels and two helicopters, the Turkish Cypriot interior ministry said in a statement.

Here are some of the latest images being sent to us over the newswires following the incident:

Priority following 'tragic shipwreck' is reaching 23 missing passengers, region’s prime minister says

The prime minister of the self-declared Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, Ünal Üstel, has posted an update on X about the “tragic shipwreck”. He said 237 out of the 267 people on board the ship have been rescued – but seven people have died.

Üstel said search and rescue operations are under way to locate the 23 missing people, which he describes as the “utmost priority”.

“I offer my condolences from Allah for those who have passed away, and wish patience and strength to their families and loved ones. I pray for a swift recovery for the injured,” he added in the post.

“All institutions of our state are on the ground. We are continuing the search and rescue efforts with the utmost care and closely following developments.”

Mayor describes Cyprus ferry incident as 'very serious'

In a post to Facebook, the mayor of the coastal town of Kyrenia, Murat Senkul, described the situation as “very serious” and confirmed that 270 passengers and crew were aboard when the ship sank off the coast of Diana beach. He said the ferry belonged to the Filo Denizcilik company.

“The Coast Guard, the *Akgünler Express* vessel, and numerous small boats are participating in rescue operations,” he wrote in the social media post.

“Please refrain from sharing information that could cause confusion or spread misinformation.”

At least seven people reportedly die after ferry capsizes off northern Cyprus

At least seven people have died after a ferry carrying nearly 270 passengers and crew capsized off the coast of Turkish-occupied northern Cyprus, local media reported.

An estimated 237 people have been rescued, Northern Cyprus’ prime minister, Ünal Üstel, told the TRT news channel, adding that the ferry had faced adverse weather conditions and began taking in water just 15 minutes after departure.

Local media report that an intensive search and rescue effort was launched after the boat capsized off the coastal town of Kyrenia earlier today. The ferry had been travelling to the Turkish port of Tasucu.