A passenger ferry operated by Filo Denizcilik capsized shortly after departing Kyrenia port in Northern Cyprus on August 30. The catamaran-style vessel was heading to Tasucu port in Turkey when it began taking on water about 6.4 to 7.5 km from the coast and eventually overturned [1, 2, 3, 4].
The ferry carried a total of 267 people, including 259 passengers and 8 crew members [2, 5, 4]. Rescue teams, including coast guard ships, helicopters, and civilian vessels, were dispatched immediately to the accident site near Diana Beach off Kyrenia [2, 6, 4]. Northern Cyprus Transport Minister Erhan Arikli said, "Authorities dispatched coast guard boats, helicopters and civilian vessels to the site. The main priority is to get survivors safely ashore" [6].
Between 237 and 241 people have been rescued. Some survivors clung to the overturned ferry hull wearing red or orange life jackets while awaiting rescue [1, 2, 6, 7]. Kyrenia Mayor Murat Senkul noted, "The ferry belongs to Filo Denizcilik company and sank off Diana beach near Kyrenia" [1].
At least 6 to 8 people died in the accident, with conflicting reports placing the missing between 18 and 23 individuals [1, 2, 5, 8, 7]. Northern Cyprus Prime Minister Unal Ustel said, "The ferry started taking on water shortly after departure in bad weather conditions. No critically injured among those rescued" [1].
Poor weather and sea conditions are believed to have contributed to the capsizing [1, 6]. The ferry had departed Kyrenia port around 12:30 local time on August 30 [2, 7]. Rescue operations continued through the day attempting to locate the missing.
Authorities are focused on ongoing rescue and recovery efforts as survivors are brought ashore safely. The final count of casualties and missing persons is expected to be updated as search operations proceed [6, 4].
