Ferry with 267 aboard capsizes off Northern Cyprus, leaving at least six dead

Overturn in rough waters

A catamaran fast ferry carrying 267 people capsized off the northern coast of Cyprus on Sunday afternoon shortly after leaving the port city of Kyrenia. The vessel departed at approximately 12:30 local time on a scheduled crossing to Taşucu, located in the southern Turkish province of Mersin. Shortly after leaving the harbour, the vessel encountered heavy seas and ran into severe difficulty when struck by an initial large wave. According to Northern Cyprus Prime Minister Ünal Üstel, the ship was hit by a second wave as the captain attempted to regain control, causing seawater to flood the catamaran hull. The crew issued an emergency distress call as the vessel took on water and rapidly overturned in rough maritime conditions.

Rescue operations and casualties

Northern Cyprus Transport Minister Erhan Arikli told the state-run Turkish news agency Anadolu that maritime coast guard units and specialized emergency response teams mobilized immediately following the distress signal. Turkish Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz announced on social media platform X that the Turkish Coast Guard was deploying assets to assist local authorities in the operation. Official vessel manifests listed 259 passengers and eight crew members aboard the ferry, though Kyrenia Mayor Murat Senkul reported 258 passengers when confirming to broadcaster CNN Türk that 159 individuals had been rescued. Prime Minister Üstel confirmed that six passengers died during the capsizing, while approximately 100 survivors had been brought ashore to Kyrenia and transported to nearby hospitals by Sunday afternoon. Video footage and photographs broadcast by regional media showed passengers in life jackets floating in choppy waters around the capsized hull as rescue helicopters circled above.

Deadly weekend storms across the island

The maritime disaster followed severe weekend storms that battered Cyprus on Saturday, generating hazardous sea conditions, widespread flooding, and destructive winds across the island. Off the south-eastern coastline near Cape Greco, high waves pushed a smaller boat against coastal rocks, causing the vessel to sink. Cypriot public broadcaster RIK reported, citing local police, that authorities discovered the body of the boat's operator along a rocky stretch of shore at Cape Greco. In the same area, a Cyprus civil defence helicopter plucked a second person from the stormy waters during a separate emergency rescue mission. Across the island, emergency fire crews responded to numerous emergency calls concerning flooded roadways, inundated residential and commercial properties, uprooted trees, localized landslides, and power outages, with the highest concentration of emergency interventions concentrated around the capital city of Nicosia.

Disruption to infrastructure and aviation

The severe weather conditions also disrupted electrical distribution systems, public infrastructure, and international aviation on Saturday before the ferry accident occurred. In Nicosia, a man was struck by lightning during the storm and required immediate medical treatment, though hospital physicians confirmed his injuries were not life-threatening. Commercial air traffic experienced widespread operational delays on Saturday morning at both Larnaca and Paphos international airports. Airport management company Hermes Airports reported that 11 scheduled inbound flights were diverted to alternative airports across the region due to adverse weather. Maria Kouroupi, senior director at Hermes Airports, confirmed that airlines avoided outright flight cancellations, allowing all 11 diverted aircraft to return safely to Cyprus once atmospheric conditions improved later in the day.