At least seven people have died as a passenger ferry capsized off Northern Cyprus on Sunday, Turkish state media reported.
A local official told AFP the ferry has “completely sunk to a depth of 514 metres”, while another local official said seven people had died.
TRNC Prime Minister Unal Ustel said the vessel had been carrying a total of 267 people when it rolled over shortly after leaving port, according to Turkish state news agency Anadolu.
Ustel added that 172 people had so far been rescued and that operations were continuing to evacuate the remaining passengers and crew, Anadolu said.
Turkiye’s ambassador to Nicosia, Ali Murat Basceri, confirmed there were deaths, without giving a number. He told Turkish state television network TRT that “the large majority of the 259 passengers have been rescued”.
