At least 8 dead after ferry with nearly 270 passengers and crew capsizes off Cyprus’ northern coast
BODRUM: At least eight people have died after a ferry carrying nearly 270 passengers and crew capsized off the coast of the breakaway north of ethnically divided Cyprus on Sunday, Turkish media reported.
Unal Ustel, the north’s Turkish Cypriot prime minister, told Turkish state broadcaster TRT that 237 people have so far been rescued. A search is underway for another 22 people, officials said.
Ustel said the ferry faced adverse weather conditions and began taking on water just 15 minutes after departure. A call for help was issued shortly after, he said. Police detained eight people — including the ferry captain — as part of an investigation into the sinking, according to Ustel.
Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhurman said weather conditions “were not bad” and urged against speculating about the cause of the accident. He said the vessel went down in waters 500 meters (1,640 feet) deep, encumbering search efforts.
