Kyrenia ferry LIVE: Eight dead as boat capsizes off Cyprus with 267 on board - Crew arrested

Kyrenia ferry LIVE: Eight dead as boat capsizes off Cyprus with 267 on board - Crew arrested Eight people have died after a passenger ferry carrying 267 people capsized off northern Cyprus, with a search underway for 18 missing people Eight people have died and 18 are missing after a passenger ferry capsized off the coast of northern Cyprus - with the boat's captain and seven crew members arrested. Prime Minister Unal Ustel confirmed the fatalities following the disaster off the port of Kyrenia, which saw 249 people rescued and sparked a major search effort. The vessel capsized early on Sunday afternoon after "taking in water" just 15 minutes into its journey to the Turkish port of Tasucu. Mr Ustel said the ferry faced adverse weather conditions and began sinking off the coast of Diana beach before a call for help was made. Turkish Cypriot and Turkish coastguard crews have been deployed, along with rescue helicopters and other vessels, as efforts continue. Key Events The transport minister of the self-declared Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, Erhan Arikli, told a Turkish news agency that passengers had made several allegations involving the crew. Passengers alleged that the doors had been locked and that the captain fled the vessel, he said. The boat had been scheduled to travel to Turkey on Saturday, but had been delayed due to poor weather conditions, said Ünal Üstel, prime ministerof the self-proclaimed Turkish republic of Cyprus. Speaking to a Turkish news outlet, he said that the boat was hit by two waves before it capsized. While the captain of the vessel was trying to recover from the first wave, a second wave hit and it began taking on water, he said. Those onboard have said that the ferry started moving erratically. They said that as it moved through the water, a hard impact with the water's surface broke the bow of the boat, Reuters reports. The ferry was traveling from the port of Kyrenia north of divided Cyprus to the Turkish port of Tasucu when the incident occurred. The company that operates the ferry said that a distress call was received between 11.30am and midday. The ferry was about four kilometres from the coast. Many of the victims and survivors are believed to be Turkish nationals who took the ferry back to their country, Sky News reports. A passenger on board the doomed ferry said the front of the vessel had "exploded" and the side windows "blew out" as it began filling up with water. The man, aged in his 50s and not named, told local Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC): "Those who could, got out." He added that the captain was among the first to flee "without organising anything". Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhurman says 249 people have been rescued but 18 remain missing. It comes after the number of missing people was earlier reported as 17. Erhurman said four of the eight bodies have also been identified. The government of the self-declared Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus has declared three days of mourning following the tragedy. The mourning period is due to end on Wednesday September 2. The Greek Cypriot government says it is "following developments with deep sadness and concern." The government's spokesperson, Konstantinos Letymbiotis, said in a message re-posted in Turkish that the Republic of Cyprus had "declared its full readiness to assist immediately in the search and rescue efforts, making available every necessary resource". "At a time like this, the protection of human life takes precedence above all else," he added. Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhurman said there has been "a great sense of shock" following the disaster off the coast of Kyrenia which has killed at least eight people. "This is not something we have experienced before," he said. "We are extremely saddened. Everyone is doing everything they can and making every effort." Unal Ustel has described today's incident as the "worst maritime disaster Cyprus has ever experienced". The prime minister added: Our grief is immense today, but our state, with all its institutions, is fulfilling its duty. We will not leave a single resource unused. A survivor said the ferry was "moving very badly" before it capsized off the coast of Northern Cyprus. Efe Multici told CNN Turk: "It was constantly lifting out of the water and slamming back down. It was shaking violently." He said the vessel then "leapt high into the air" before "crashing down". "The front left side burst open and water started pouring in," he added. Unal Ustel has stressed that search and rescue efforts will continue "uninterrupted" until the missing 17 people are found. Multiple aircraft, including helicopters and drones, as well as Turkish Armed Forces vessels, have been deployed in the ongoing search, he added. Crowds of people have been pictured outside the port in Kyrenia as they await news of thier loved-ones. A search and rescue effort is still ongoing to find the remaining missing people. Turkish Cypriot prime minister Unal Ustel said the captain of the ferry and seven crew members have been arrested as part of an investigation "to determine how this tragedy occurred". Ustel said in a post on Facebook: Every aspect of this incident will be investigated. Even the slightest negligence will be uncovered. No one will be spared, regardless of who is found to be at fault or responsible. It is both the duty of our state and its responsibility to the people we have lost and their families to fully illuminate all aspects of this great tragedy. Turkish Cypriot Prime Minister Unal Ustel said the boat had capsized after being hit by two waves. Turkish outlet TRT reported Ustel as saying: The vessel was supposed to travel to Turkey yesterday but departed today due to weather conditions. However, it was hit by a first wave at sea, and while the captain was trying to recover, the vessel began taking on water after a second wave hit. The death toll has risen to eight, according to Turkish media, citing the Turkish Cypriot transport minister, Erhan Arikli. Arikli said 17 people are still missing, down from 23 people earlier. Filo Denizcilik, the company which operates the boat that capsized, said it is "deeply saddened by the tragic accident". The company said a hotline has been set up to keep passengers' relatives informed, as well as recourses to assist with search and rescue operations. Turkish MP Sami Ozuslu says there are reports that at least nine people have died. "Sadly we are now hearing that there are nine or ten dead," he told The Guardian. "I met many relatives at the central hospital in Nicosia earlier today who were looking for family members among the missing." Search teams have struggled to reach possible survivors despite "working very intensivley" to find them, Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhurman has said. Speaking from the crisis centre set up in the area, Erhurman told reporters: We have still not been able to reach 23 people. Search and rescue teams are working very intensively to find them. If there are people still inside the vessel, reaching them does not appear easy at the moment. Efforts are being made using other technologies to reach them as well. The ferry has "completely sunk to a depth of 514 metres (1,686 feet)" after capsizing, according to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus' transport minister. Erhan Arikli, told Turkish TV network TRT that 161 people had been taken to hospital and 76 had reunited with their families. Multiple vessels and a helicopter have been deployed as part of an urgent rescue mission to find 23 people who vanished after the ferry capsized. Of the 267 people on board, 237 have been rescued and seven have tragically died. Mr Ustel said the ferry faced adverse weather conditions and began taking in water just 15 minutes after it departed the port of Kyrenia. A call for help was issued shortly after, he added. Northern Cyprus Prime Minister Unal Ustel says authorities are using all the recourses they can to reach the 23 missing people. "Our utmost priority at this moment is to reach the 23 missing individuals as soon as possible," Ustel said in a post on X. "Out of the total 267 people on board the ship, 237 have been rescued by our teams. Unfortunately, 7 individuals have lost their lives." He added: I offer my condolences from Allah for those who have passed away, and wish patience and strength to their families and loved ones. I pray for a swift recovery for the injured. All institutions of our state are on the ground. We are continuing the search and rescue efforts with the utmost care and closely following developments. A ferry carrying 267 people has capsized off the coast of northern Cyprus, killing seven people. An urgent search effort is now underway to find 23 missing people, while the remaining 237 have been rescued. The boat left the port of Kyrenia and was heading to the Turkish port of Tasucu when it sank near Diana beach. The area is currently facing adverse weather conditions. The vessel, operated by ferry company Filo Denizcilik, was carrying 259 passengers on the boat and eight crew. Authorities said it began taking in water just 15 minutes into the journey, when it was roughly 7.5km from shore. At least seven people are repoted to have died after a ferry carrying nearly 270 passengers and crew capsized off the coast of northern Cyprus on Sunday, Turkish media reported. Local leader Tufan Erhürman told CNN Turk: "So far, we have reached 244 people. Seven of those we reached have died. 23 people are missing." Turkish Cypriot politician Tufan Erhurman has reportedly said according to current figures at the crisis center, there are still 23 people who cannot be reached, adding, “I can give much clearer answers to these questions within an hour. "We have 23 people we haven't been able to reach. Intensive efforts are continuing. Six people have died, according to reports on Turkish broadcaster TGRT. The pro-government broadcaster TGRT said local leader Ünal Üstel had confirmed that at least six people had died after the ferry capsized off the coast of northern Cyprus. The mayor of Girne, where the ferry began its journey before it started taking on water and sank, has said that 60 to 70 passengers are currently “unaccounted for”. Girne Mayor Murat Şenkul told Turkish broadcaster A Haber: “So far, we've reached nearly 200 of our citizens, but considering that the total capacity on the ship is around 270, there are still about 60-70 of our people we haven't reached yet.” The Republic of Türkiye Ministry of Interior has released on X. It reads: “Press Statement on the Ongoing Search and Rescue Operations for the Passenger Ship Taking on Water Off the Coast of Girne “On August 30, 2026, information was received that the passenger ship named FILOJET, which was en route from Girne Port to Taşucu Port with 259 passengers and 8 crew members on board, had begun taking on water 4 miles off Girne Port and was in danger of sinking. “Following the receipt of the report, search and rescue operations were initiated in the area. “As part of the search and rescue activities; 4 floating units affiliated with the T.R.N.C. Coast Guard Command and the passenger ship named AKGÜNLER 3 were assigned to the region, while 5 floating units and 2 Coast Guard helicopters were dispatched to the area by our Coast Guard Command. “Additionally, 6 naval units have been assigned by the Naval Forces Command to support the operations being conducted in the region. “The search and rescue operations are being meticulously continued in coordination among the relevant units. “It is respectfully announced to the public.”