On Sunday, August 30th, a ferry carrying 267 people capsized in waters near northern Cyprus, resulting in at least 7 deaths and 23 people missing.
According to information released by the Marine Traffic website, the Filo Jet is a ship flying the flag of Turkey. The ship is 40.5 meters long and 10.4 meters wide.
The Marine Traffic website report stated that the ship left Kyrenia port in northern Cyprus at 11:58 AM on Sunday, with an expected arrival time of 5:52 PM at Tasucu port in Mersin, Turkey.
The tragedy occurred near the coast of Kyrenia, a popular resort destination for locals and tourists alike. The ferry involved is a catamaran, part of several maritime shuttle routes operating daily between northern Cyprus and Turkey.
Northern Cyprus Turkish Republic Prime Minister Unal Ustel issued a statement on the social media platform X on Sunday, saying he is closely monitoring the situation.
“There were a total of 267 people on board the ship, with 237 already rescued by our rescue teams. Unfortunately, 7 people have been confirmed dead. Currently, we have mobilized all available resources to continue the search and rescue efforts and are fully focused on locating the 23 missing individuals,” he said.
Ustel told Turkish media that the capsizing of the ship was due to “severe weather conditions,” and that the rescued individuals are in no life-threatening condition.
He also stated that a large-scale rescue operation is underway.
“Our top priority now is to ensure the safety of the people. All of our country’s institutions, security forces, medical teams, and search and rescue teams are on site, coordinating efforts,” he told reporters after chairing a crisis management committee meeting.
According to the Turkish Ministry of the Interior, the ferry was carrying 259 passengers and 8 crew members. The ministry further mentioned that ships and helicopters have been dispatched to assist in searching for survivors, and those rescued have been taken to local hospitals.
Video footage from the scene of the capsized ship shows dozens of people alongside the ship, with some individuals wearing life jackets while in the water. At least one helicopter was seen hovering above the overturned vessel.