Passenger ship capsizes off Kyrenia: 8 dead, 18 missing
As a result of a private passenger ship capsizing while en route from Kyrenia Port to Taşucu, 8 people lost their lives, and search and rescue operations for 18 missing people are ongoing.
A private passenger ship belonging to a private company, set to travel from Kyrenia Port in the TRNC to Taşucu Port in Mersin, took on water for reasons yet unknown and capsized. In the ship accident carrying a total of 267 people, 8 people lost their lives, 237 people were rescued, and search operations for the 18 missing individuals are continuing.
Ferry Disaster and Rescue Operations
The passenger ship named FİLOJET, belonging to a private company and traveling from Kyrenia Port in the TRNC to Taşucu Port in Mersin, took on water and capsized shortly after setting out to sea.
While it was stated that the ship took on water approximately 4 miles off Kyrenia Port and listed to its side after a while, boats in the region as well as coast guard and naval forces units launched rescue operations.
Passenger Information and Sinking Details
TRNC Minister of Public Works and Transportation Erhan Arıklı stated that the ship departed at 11:50, lost its signal at 12:25, and sank to a depth of 514 meters.
It was announced that there were a total of 259 passengers—consisting of 240 Turkish Republic citizens, 11 TRNC citizens, 5 German citizens, and 3 Iranian citizens—and 8 crew members on board the ship.
Detentions and Three Days of Mourning
TRNC Prime Minister Ünal Üstel announced to the public that a total of 8 people, including the ship captain, had been detained within the scope of the ongoing investigation.
Following this tragic accident, it was officially announced that 3 days of mourning had been declared across the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.