A Turkish Cypriot coast guard vessel searches waters off the port of Kyrenia in the Turkish-occupied northern part of Cyprus, on Aug. 31, 2026, after a catamaran ferry capsized off the island's northern coast. [Nedim Enginsoy/AP]
A specialist team equipped to search deep waters was due to arrive from Turkey on Tuesday as emergency crews pressed on with efforts to find 20 people missing after a ferry capsized off northern Cyprus.
At least eight people died when the double-hulled vessel started taking in water and overturned shortly after leaving the port town of Kyrenia on Sunday with 267 passengers and crew on board.
Survivors who scrambled to safety by clinging on to part of its overturned hull were picked up by boats in the area, but there are some accounts that other passengers may have got trapped in compartments as the boat flipped. Children are among those missing.
The wreck lies on the seabed at a depth of more than 500 metres (1,640 feet), beyond the reach of the resources available locally. Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhurman said the incoming team would bring specialised equipment to explore the wreck and surrounding seabed.
