At least eight people have died and 17 remain missing after a passenger ferry capsized and sank off the Turkish occupied north of Cyprus on Sunday, August 30.
The ferry was carrying 267 people, including 259 passengers and eight crew members, when it sank approximately 6.5 kilometres off the coast of Cyprus. The vessel had departed from Kyrenia in the Turkish occupied north of Cyprus and was heading towards the Turkish port of Taşucu.
According to the latest official figures, 242 people were rescued. Search and rescue operations continued overnight, involving numerous vessels and helicopters.
Several survivors told local media that an explosion occurred near the bow of the ferry shortly before it overturned. Some also alleged that there were not enough life jackets available for passengers.
One survivor, Efe Multici, told CNN Türk that some passengers were forced to jump into the sea without life jackets or lifebuoys.
“Some people had to jump without lifebuoys or life jackets,” he said, describing the incident as a fight for survival.
Another survivor told local television that the front section of the ferry exploded as crew members attempted to turn the vessel around.
He said the side windows were blown out and water began flooding into the ferry. The man, who is in his 50s, said he spent approximately 90 minutes in the water before being rescued.
He also claimed that the captain was among the first to abandon the vessel and failed to properly organise the evacuation.
A second survivor, in his 30s, also reported an explosion. He said he had previously warned the captain that water was entering the ferry.
“The seats started to float, the captain kept going, and the bow exploded,” he said.
Captain and crew detained
The captain and seven crew members were detained following the disaster, according to authorities in the Turkish occupied north of Cyprus.
The area’s transport minister, Erhan Arıklı, said the ferry had completely sunk to a depth of approximately 514 metres.
He said investigators would examine the vessel’s black box in an effort to determine what caused the sinking.
Arıklı also referred to allegations that an object may have struck the ferry before it sank.
Meanwhile, rescue teams continued searching the area for those still missing.
Turkey’s Interior Ministry said six Turkish navy vessels had been dispatched to support the search and rescue operation, while private boats and other vessels also joined the effort.
Medical facilities in the Turkish occupied north of Cyprus were placed on standby to provide treatment to rescued passengers.
Ferry was travelling to Turkey
The vessel had departed from Kyrenia, also known as Girne, and was bound for Taşucu on Turkey’s southern coast.
The Turkish occupied north of Cyprus is internationally recognised as part of the Republic of Cyprus. The self proclaimed administration in the occupied area is recognised only by Turkey.
Cyprus has remained divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded and subsequently occupied the northern part of the island following a coup backed by the military junta then ruling Greece.
The latest ferry disaster has prompted an investigation into the cause of the sinking, with authorities examining reports of an explosion, possible impact with an object and allegations concerning the availability of life saving equipment and the evacuation of passengers.
