At least seven people died and 23 others remain missing after a passenger ferry sank this Sunday off the northern coast of Cyprus.
On board the vessel were 267 people: 259 passengers and eight crew members. According to the latest report, emergency teams have located 244 people, of whom 237 were rescued alive.
The ferry had departed from Kyrenia bound for the port of Tasucu, in Turkey, when it began to experience problems at sea. Search operations continue with the support of Turkish Cypriot units and the Turkish Naval Forces.
Images broadcast by Turkish television showed the partially capsized vessel, while passengers wearing life jackets remained on the hull waiting to be assisted.
The Turkish Cypriot Prime Minister, Ünal Üstel, stated that the ship was scheduled to start its journey to Turkey the previous day, “but due to weather conditions, it departed today. However, the first wave hit at sea and, while the captain tried to save the situation, the ship began taking on water with the second wave,” he said.
The vessel issued an emergency call at 12:10 local time, reporting that it was taking on water off the coast. Witnesses said some passengers jumped into the sea when the ferry began to sink.
Among the rescued are injured people who were transferred to medical centers in the north of the island. Hospitals in the area were put on alert to receive those needing medical attention.
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After the sinking became known, personnel from the Coast Guard, Security Forces, Civil Defense, and Police were mobilized, along with naval and air resources.
Ships from the Turkish Naval Forces also joined the operation to locate those still missing.
Üstel assured that the efforts will continue uninterrupted and that a crisis management team made up of various Turkish Cypriot authorities has been formed.
“Our only priority right now is human lives. All state institutions, our security forces, our healthcare personnel, and our search and rescue teams are deployed in full coordination. All necessary resources have been mobilized,” he emphasized.
The authorities also opened a investigation to determine the causes of the accident.
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