Deep-sea team aids search for missing in Cyprus ferry disaster

NICOSIA, Cyprus - A specialized deep-sea rescue team is set to join the search for 20 missing individuals following the capsizing of a double-hulled ferry off northern Cyprus, according to officials. The vessel, carrying 267 passengers and crew, overturned shortly after departing Kyrenia port on Sunday, resulting in at least eight fatalities.

Survivors managed to cling onto parts of the overturned hull, which was subsequently recovered by passing boats, though some reports suggest others may have been trapped within the vessel's compartments as it capsized. Among those still unaccounted for are children. The wreck rests at a depth exceeding 500 meters, well beyond the capabilities of locally available resources.

Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhurman announced that the incoming Turkish team would deploy advanced equipment to investigate the wreckage and seabed. He emphasized that while immediate intervention at this depth is not feasible, the specialized assistance would commence the following day. Uncertainty persists regarding whether any of the missing individuals are still trapped inside the capsized ferry.

Initial footage circulating on social media hints at individuals possibly remaining within one of the compartments, while others perch on the boat's elevated section awaiting assistance. The incident's cause is currently under investigation, although Turkish Cypriot authorities affirmed that the vessel had maintained a valid seaworthiness certificate.

Nine individuals associated with the ferry's operations were apprehended on Monday by court order, to aid police inquiries into the disaster. Witness testimonies recount the ferry experiencing violent oscillations before abruptly crashing back into the water, the force of the collision breaching part of its bow.