Ferry capsizes off northern Cyprus: at least eight dead, 18 missing as search continues
Story Timeline
20 hours · 6 summary articles
At least eight people have died and 18 remain missing after a passenger ferry capsized off the coast of northern Cyprus on Sunday, officials said. The vessel, carrying 259 passengers and eight crew members, sank shortly after departing Kyrenia (Girne) for the Turkish port of Taşucu, taking on water after being struck by waves.
Ünal Üstel, prime minister of the self-proclaimed Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), confirmed the deaths and said the ferry’s captain and seven crew members had been detained as part of an investigation. He described the incident as “the biggest maritime disaster Cyprus has ever experienced” and vowed a thorough probe, stating, “No one will be spared, regardless of who they are, who is found to be at fault or responsible” .
Rescue operations continued through the night, with Turkish and TRNC authorities deploying aircraft, drones, helicopters, and coastal vessels. Turkey’s state-run Anadolu Agency reported that Turkey had committed three aircraft, four unmanned aerial vehicles, six helicopters, four Coast Guard boats, a fast attack craft, a frigate, and a patrol vessel to the search. The TRNC contributed additional assets, including four Coast Guard boats and two helicopters .
Survivors described chaotic scenes as water entered the vessel. Efe Multici, a passenger, told CNN Türk that crew members were initially unresponsive when alerted to water seeping into the ferry. “The ship kept coming up and then crashing down. When the water started seeping in, we told the crew,” Multici said . Other survivors alleged that some crew members locked doors and abandoned ship, claims that Transport Minister Erhan Arikli said would be investigated .
The ferry, identified as the Filo Jet, sank at a depth of 514 meters (1,686 feet). Authorities are attempting to recover its black box recorder to determine the cause of the capsizing. The TRNC’s Council of Ministers declared three days of national mourning, from August 31 to sunset on September 2 .
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan expressed condolences and said search-and-rescue efforts would continue “uninterrupted” in coordination with TRNC authorities . Health Minister Hakan Dinçyürek reported that no patients remained in critical condition, with most of the injured already discharged from hospitals .
Follow us for live European news
- 2
- 1
- 1
- 1
- 1
- 1
- 1
- 1
3 further sources not geolocated
Articles
18 missing as search continues after Kyrenia ferry sinking Operations to locate the 18 people that remain missing following the sinking of the ferry off Kyrenia continued throughout the night using aircraft, drones and helicopters, with sea searches set to resume at first light. Search efforts have been underway since the boat sank on Sunday, with eight people confirmed dead so far, while another […]
cyprus mail · about 3 hours ago
Hospitals discharge shipwreck survivors as search for 18 missing continues The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) has declared three days of national mourning, from August 31 until sunset on September 2, 2026, following the capsizing of a passenger ship travelling between Kyrenia (Girne) and Taşucu off the Kyrenia coast. The Council of Ministers made the decision over the loss of life caused by the […]
in-cyprus · about 3 hours ago
Acht doden en 18 vermisten na kapseizen boot bij Cyprus Een ferry met 267 mensen aan boord kapseisde kort na vertrek uit Noord-Cyprus. Zeker acht mensen kwamen om en 18 mensen worden nog vermist. Beelden laten zien hoe paniek uitbreekt en opvarenden op het gekapseisde schip klimmen, wachtend op hulp. De kapitein en zeven bemanningsleden zijn aangehouden.
rtl nieuws · about 3 hours ago
Kapitein en voltallige bemanning van gezonken ferry voor Noord-Cyprus opgepakt, zeker 8 doden en 18 vermisten
de morgen · about 3 hours ago
Schiffsunglück vor Küste Nordzyperns: Kapitän festgenommen Mehr als 250 Personen an Bord als die Fähre unterging. Nun wurden Kapitän und Crewmitglieder festgenommen.
die presse · about 3 hours ago
At least eight dead after shipwreck off Cyprus A passenger ferry carrying nearly 270 people sank off northern Cyprus on Sunday after taking on water and capsizing shortly after departing Kyrenia for the Turkish port of Tasucu. Turkish Cypriot Transport Minister Erhan Arikli confirmed that eight people have died. Rescue teams are searching for 17 missing individuals, while 242 people were rescued, with […]
cphpost · about 4 hours ago
«Ο καθένας γλίτωσε με τις δικές του δυνάμεις»: Μαρτυρίες-σοκ, έρευνα για τα αίτια και αγωνία για τους αγνοούμενους του ναυαγίου στην Κερύνεια Στους 8 οι νεκροί, υπό κράτηση ο καπετάνιος και άλλα επτά πρόσωπα - Στα 514 μέτρα το «Filo Jet», αναζητείται το μαύρο κουτί
protothema · about 4 hours ago
Kapitän nach tödlichem Fährunglück festgenommen – Passagiere machen Crew schwere Vorwürfe Der Kapitän soll von Bord geflüchtet sein, als sich das Unglück auf der Fähre mit bislang acht Toten anbahnte. Überlebende berichten von verschlossenen Türen, Fluchtwegen und chaotischen Zuständen an Bord. Noch immer werden 18 Menschen vermisst.
welt.de · about 5 hours ago
Eight killed and 18 missing after ferry capsizes off northern Cyprus A search and rescue operation is under way after a ferry carrying nearly 270 people turns over after leaving port.
bbc · about 5 hours ago
TRNC vows probe into deadly ferry capsizing off Kyrenia TRNC Public Works and Transport Minister Erhan Arikli said all allegations regarding Sundays fatal ferry accident off Kyrenia would be thoroughly examined, including claims that crew members locked doors and abandoned ship as the vessel sank with 267 people aboard.
yenisafak · about 5 hours ago
Acht Tote: Fährunglück vor Zypern: Ermittler suchen Ursache Eine Fähre gerät in Seenot, mindestens acht Menschen sterben. Jede „geringste Fahrlässigkeit soll „ans Licht kommen, verspricht Nordzyperns Ministerpräsident.
faz · about 5 hours ago
At least 8 dead and more missing after ferry carrying hundreds capsizes off Cyprus northern coast
news.yahoo.com · about 5 hours ago