A devastating maritime disaster has unfolded off the coast of Northern Cyprus, where a passenger ferry carrying hundreds of people capsized and sank on Sunday, leaving at least seven dead and 23 others unaccounted for as multi-agency rescue teams continue search operations, local and Turkish officials have confirmed.
The ill-fated vessel departed from the Northern Cypriot port of Kyrenia (Girne in Turkish) bound for the Turkish mainland port of Tasucu, and overturned just 6.5 kilometers (four miles) from shore mere minutes after setting sail. By the evening, the ferry had settled completely on the seabed at a depth of 514 meters (1,686 feet), according to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) Transport Minister Erhan Arikli.
Investigators have not yet confirmed the root cause of the disaster, but one rescued passenger has given a chilling firsthand account of an explosion moments before the ferry capsized. The 50-something unnamed survivor, who spent 90 minutes adrift in open water before being pulled out, told local TRNC television that a blast erupted in the bow of the vessel before it rolled over. “The front part exploded, they tried to turn around. And the side windows blew out. The boat starting taking on water,” he recalled. He added that many passengers were trapped below decks as water rushed in, and claimed the ship’s captain was among the first to abandon the vessel without coordinating an evacuation. Photographs broadcast on Turkish television showed survivors clinging to the upturned orange hull of the ferry while waiting for rescue, all wearing life vests.
Official counts confirm the ferry was carrying 267 people in total. As of the latest update, 172 people have been rescued from the water. Of those survivors, 161 have been transported to local hospitals for evaluation and treatment, while 76 have already been released and returned to their families, Arikli told Turkish public broadcaster TRT.
A large-scale rescue operation has been mobilized in response to the incident, drawing resources from both Northern Cyprus and Turkey. Private civilian boats were first on the scene to pull survivors from the water, and they have been joined by six Turkish naval vessels, a military helicopter and additional emergency response teams. Turkish Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz confirmed via the social platform X that Ankara is providing all necessary support for search and rescue efforts. “All necessary preparations are being made for a swift response from rescue and health services,” the TRNC’s health ministry said in a statement, adding that all hospitals across the territory had been placed on high alert to receive casualties.
Addressing the disaster during a public appearance on Sunday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said search efforts for the 23 missing people were continuing nonstop. “We hope to receive positive news from these efforts,” he added. Erdogan is scheduled to travel to Northern Cyprus on Monday for a pre-planned meeting with newly elected TRNC President Tufan Erhurmann, in what will be his first visit to the territory since 2023.
The TRNC, a self-declared independent state that controls the northern third of divided Cyprus, is recognized only by Turkey. The island has been split since 1974, when Turkish forces occupied the northern region in response to a Greek Cypriot coup backed by Athens that aimed to unite the island with Greece. Today, regular sea and air routes connect the TRNC directly to Turkey, the only country that maintains formal diplomatic relations with the territory.