At least eight die, 17 missing after ferry capsizes off Northern Cyprus
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Passengers waiting to be rescued at sea after the ferry they were travelling on capsized off Northern Cyprus.
PHOTO: AFP
NICOSIA – At least eight people died and 17 were missing after a ferry carrying around 270 passengers and crew capsized off Northern Cyprus on Aug 30, leaving survivors clinging to its overturned hull.
The privately owned ferry left the Kyrenia port at 12.30pm local time and immediately started taking on water for an unknown reason, the authorities said. It was heading for the Turkish Tasucu port in the Eastern Mediterranean.
Survivors reported the ferry moving erratically, with its last hard impact with the water’s surface breaking the bow of the two-hulled vessel, letting water seep in.
The disaster occurred just off the coast of Kyrenia, a popular holiday resort for both locals and tourists. The ferry was one of several shuttle sea services that link Northern Cyprus, a breakaway unrecognised Turkish Cypriot state, with Turkey daily.
Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhurman told CNN Turk he was “deeply saddened” by the incident.
Video footage showed people in red life jackets sitting or standing on top of the overturned vessel as the authorities scrambled coast guard and private vessels for assistance to bring them to shore.
“The vessel had been moving very badly. It was constantly lifting out of the water and slamming back down. It was shaking violently,” survivor Efe Multici told CNN Turk.
“Three or four minutes later, the ferry leapt high into the air, then came crashing down. The front left side burst open and water started pouring in.”
The Turkish Cypriot authorities said the captain of the vessel and seven crew had been detained for questioning. By late afternoon, the ship had sunk, settling on the seabed at a depth of 514m. Divers from Turkey would be assisting the search, they said.
“If there are people still inside the vessel, reaching them does not appear easy at the moment,” Erhurman said. “Efforts are being made using other technologies to reach them as well.”
Major rescue operation under way
Cyprus was battered by fierce storms on Aug 29, with one person dying after his sailboat crashed onto rocks in rough seas in the island’s south-east.
Asked about the cause of the capsize, Erhurman noted the storm on Aug 29, but said the weather on Aug 30 was considered suitable for travel.
Rescue boats bringing passengers to shore from a capsized boat in Northern Cyprus on Aug 30.
PHOTO: REUTERS
“There is a great sense of shock here. This is not something we have experienced before,” he said, speaking from the crisis centre set up in the area.
Northern Cyprus is a breakaway state recognised only by Turkey, which supports the area economically and militarily.
In Turkey, President Tayyip Erdogan extended his condolences to the families affected.
Expressions of condolence and offers of assistance also came from Cyprus’ internationally recognised government. Cyprus has been split down Greek and Turkish Cypriot lines since 1974, when Turkey invaded in response to a brief Greek inspired coup.
“Efforts to reach those who are still missing continue uninterrupted,” Erdogan said. “God willing, we hope to receive positive news from these efforts.”
The Turkish Cypriot Interior Ministry said the passenger ferry, FILOJET, was carrying 259 passengers and eight crew, and it began taking on water about four nautical miles off Kyrenia while sailing from Kyrenia to Tasucu in Turkey.
Four Turkish Cypriot coast guard vessels and a civilian passenger boat were deployed to the scene, along with five Turkish coast guard vessels and two helicopters, the ministry statement said. REUTERS
