At least 8 die, more missing, as ferry capsizes off Northern Cyprus

A passenger ferry capsized and sank off the coast of Northern Cyprus on Sunday, resulting in at least eight deaths and over a dozen people reported missing, according to officials and media reports. The incident occurred approximately 6.5 kilometers from the coast of Cyprus, shortly after the ferry departed from a Northern Cyprus port headed for Turkey's mainland.

The vessel had a total capacity of 267 people, of which 161 were successfully rescued and taken to a hospital, while 76 individuals have since returned home. Seventeen people remain missing.

As police took the captain and seven crew members into custody, several rescued passengers shared harrowing accounts of the ordeal. One witness recounted that a loud blast had occurred at the bow of the ferry before it rolled over, while another spoke of insufficient life vests on board. According to images broadcast by Turkish television, the upside-down ferry was spotted in the water, with people wearing life vests atop its orange hull.

The ferry capsized near the Northern Cyprus port of Kyrenia, also known as Girne Kepuveia in Turkish, which was en route to the Turkish port of Tasucu. Unal Ustel, the prime minister of the self-proclaimed Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), announced that the ship's captain and seven crew members had been arrested. The TRNC, which controls the northern third of Cyprus and has been recognized only by Turkey, deploys regular air and sea links to Turkey.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan expressed hope for positive news from the search and rescue efforts, stating, "We hope to receive positive news from these efforts." The TRNC's transport minister, Erhan Arikli, confirmed that the ferry had sunk to a depth of 514 meters (1,686 feet). One rescued passenger, who was in his 50s, recounted hearing an explosion at the front of the ferry, followed by the windows blowing out and the boat taking on water.

He spent an hour and a half in the water before being rescued and reported that many people had already abandoned ship when it began taking on water. Another witness corroborated reports of an explosion, stating that the captain kept going despite the captain's reports of water leaks and the seats floating.