ع
A catamaran-style passenger ferry overturned in rough seas about two kilometres north of Kyrenia on Sunday afternoon while en route to Tasucu in Turkey’s Mersin province Turkish Cypriot media reported. The vessel operated by Filo Denizcilik had begun taking on water from the bow and the captain attempted to return to port but the effort failed according to local accounts relayed by the Cyprus Mail. Kyrenia mayor Murat Senkul told CNN Turk that rescuers had reached 159 of the 258 passengers on board describing the situation as very serious while search and rescue operations continued with civilian boats also assisting at the scene.
Turkish Cypriot officials deployed coast guard vessels a rescue helicopter and additional support craft immediately after the ferry capsized with video footage from the area showing people wearing life vests clustered on the upturned hull Reuters reported. Prime Minister Ünal Üstel and Public Works and Transport Minister Erhan Arıklı traveled to the port area to monitor the developing operation Politis reported adding that ambulances had been dispatched and hospitals in Kyrenia placed on alert to treat any injured. The Mirror cited local updates confirming that some of those rescued were transferred to Girne port for hospital evaluation though no official casualty figures had been released as of late afternoon.
The Kyrenia-Tasucu route ranks among the busiest ferry connections linking northern Cyprus to mainland Turkey with several operators providing daily sailings eKathimerini noted in its coverage of the incident. One source from Kıbrıs Postası placed the total aboard at 267 including 259 passengers and eight crew members a figure broadly consistent with the around 270 cited across multiple outlets. Officials have yet to confirm the precise cause though Minister Arıklı stated that rough sea conditions in the region were severe and that an investigation would determine the exact reasons behind the capsizing.
The incident occurred one day after a severe storm swept through the eastern Mediterranean creating hazardous wave conditions that can challenge even commercial vessels according to updates carried by the Express. Such weather patterns have compounded risks on maritime routes in the area where ferry services remain a primary transport link for passengers and goods between the breakaway north and Turkey. Rescue teams continued working through the afternoon with operations coordinated from the scene as additional resources converged on the location.
Northern Cyprus authorities have managed similar maritime emergencies in the past including a 2018 capsizing that Reuters said left 19 migrants dead and prompted a large-scale search involving Turkish and Turkish Cypriot coast guards. While Sunday’s event involved a licensed passenger ferry rather than an irregular migrant crossing the region’s waters have seen repeated incidents tied to both commercial traffic and migration flows according to data compiled by regional monitors. Hospitals maintained their alert status into the evening with officials continuing to update on the condition of those brought ashore as the rescue phase transitioned toward accounting for everyone aboard.
