Passenger Catamaran Capsizes Off Northern Cyprus, Dozens Killed and Missing

A ferry carrying 267 passengers capsized off the northern coast of Cyprus on Sunday, resulting in multiple fatalities and triggering an extensive search and rescue operation for those still missing.

According to Tufan Erhurman, the leader of the self-declared independent Turkish republic in northern Cyprus, at least seven individuals lost their lives and 237 were rescued, as reported by CNN Turk. An additional 23 people remained unaccounted for, he noted.

The vessel had sailed from the Cypriot port of Kyrenia—referred to as Girne in Turkish—bound for Tasucu in southern Turkey. Turkey’s Interior Ministry reported that it was carrying 259 passengers and eight crew members when it started taking on water approximately four miles from Kyrenia.

Turkish Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz identified the vessel as a “catamaran-type” boat, expressing his condolences to the passengers, crew, and the nation via social media.

The interior ministry stated that Turkish and northern Cypriot authorities had launched a comprehensive search-and-rescue mission utilizing helicopters and naval assets.

Unal Ustel, the prime minister of northern Cyprus, expressed his grief via his office’s Facebook page, stating, “We are deeply saddened. There has been a loss of life, and individuals have been injured.”

Details regarding the nationalities of those on board were not immediately available. Passengers utilizing these routes are typically residents of northern Cyprus holding Turkish or Cypriot passports, alongside nationals from mainland Turkey.

In an interview with Anadolu, Turkey’s state-run news agency, Mr. Ustel revealed that the ferry’s departure had been postponed by a day due to inclement weather. He explained, “It was struck by an initial wave at sea, and as the captain attempted to recover, the vessel began taking on water following a second wave.”

In 1974, the Turkish military occupied territory in northern Cyprus amid ethnic tensions between Greek and Turkish populations on the Mediterranean island. Following this, northern Cyprus declared itself an independent Turkish republic in 1983, a sovereignty claim recognized solely by Turkey.

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