A passenger ferry carrying approximately 270 people capsized off northern Cyprus on Sunday, resulting in seven confirmed deaths and 23 people still missing, according to Turkish Cypriot officials.
A ferry operating between Cyprus and Turkey capsized in the eastern Mediterranean on Sunday, triggering a major search and rescue operation. According to Turkish Cypriot Prime Minister Ünal Üstel, the incident claimed seven lives, while 23 passengers and crew members remain unaccounted for. The vessel was carrying 267 people at the time of the incident, with 237 successfully rescued.
The privately owned ferry departed from Kyrenia port at 12:30 p.m. local time, bound for the Turkish port of Tasucu in Mersin province. The boat began taking on water shortly after leaving port for reasons that authorities have not yet determined. Survivors were reported clinging to the overturned hull as rescue operations commenced.
Search and rescue efforts were ongoing at the time of reporting to locate the 23 missing individuals. The incident underscores maritime safety concerns on one of the eastern Mediterranean's busiest shipping routes.
