Cyprus ferry incident latest: Desperate search for more than 20 missing passengers after boat capsizes, killing 7
Search teams are desperately trying to locate 23 people who were aboard a ferry carrying nearly 270 passengers that capsized off the coast of northern Cyprus on Sunday.
At least seven people have died in the incident, self-declared Northern Cyprus prime minister Unal Ustel confirmed, and 237 people have been rescued.
Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhurman said: “We have still not been able to reach 23 people. Search and rescue teams are working very intensively to find them.
“If there are people still inside the vessel, reaching them does not appear easy at the moment. Efforts are being made using other technologies to reach them as well.”
The catamaran-style boat was travelling from the port of Kyrenia, also known as Girne, in the breakaway north of ethnically divided Cyprus, to the Turkish port of Tasucu in Mersin province.
Mr Ustel said the ferry faced adverse weather conditions and began taking in water just 15 minutes after departure before a call for help was issued.
Survivors were left clinging to its overturned hull and footage of the incident shows people with life vests floating in the waters around the capsized vessel.
It has been reported that there were 267 people on board, including 259 passengers and eight crew.
At least three children in intensive care, says Turkish MP
At least three children are in intensive care following a boat that capsized on Sunday, according to Turkish MP Sami Ozuslu.
“They are in intensive care but seem to be out of danger,” he told The Guardian.
Maira Butt30 August 2026 16:55
Turkish MP says death toll likely to rise with reports of up to 10 dead
Turkish MP Sami Ozuslu has said that the death toll has risen on Sunday.
“Sadly we are now hearing that there are nine or ten dead,” he told The Guardian.
“I met many relatives at the central hospital in Nicosia earlier today who were looking for family members among the missing.”
Maira Butt30 August 2026 16:47
Boat operator saddened by 'deeply tragic' incident
Filo Denizcilik, the company which operates the boat that capsized on Sunday has released a statement in the aftermath of the incident.
It said the company "deeply saddened by the tragic accident" and that a hotline has been set up to provide information to passengers’ relatives.
The company says it has deployed resources to assist with search and rescue operations.
Maira Butt30 August 2026 16:40
Full story: At least 7 dead after ferry carrying nearly 270 passengers and crew capsizes off northern Cyprus
At least seven people have died after a ferry carrying nearly 270 passengers and crew capsized off the coast of northern Cyprus on Sunday, Turkish media reported.
Some 237 people have been rescued, Northern Cyprus Prime Minister Unal Ustel told Turkish state-run TRT news channel. He said a search was underway for another 24 people.
Ustel said the ferry faced adverse weather conditions and began taking in water just 15 minutes after departure. A call for help was issued shortly after, he said.
At least 7 dead after ferry carrying nearly 270 passengers and crew capsizes off northern Cyprus
At least seven people have died after a ferry carrying nearly 270 passengers and crew capsized off the coast of northern CyprusMaira Butt30 August 2026 16:19
Watch: Passengers sit on top of capsized ferry off coast of Cyprus
Harriette Boucher30 August 2026 16:02Harriette Boucher30 August 2026 15:55
In pictures: Urgent search underway to find 23 missing passengers
Harriette Boucher30 August 2026 15:36
Man killed in separate boating incident in Cyprus
A man was killed and several others injured in a separate boating accident in the south east of Cyprus on Saturday.
Dimis Mavropoulos, a Greek-Cypriot businessman in his 70s, died after his sailboat crashed onto rocks in the rough seas as the island was battered by fierce storms.
Local media reported that he was pulled unconscious from the water by a rescue helicopter and airlifted to a hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Two survivors were being treated in hospital, according to reports.
Harriette Boucher30 August 2026 15:29
Search teams struggling to locate possible survivors
Search teams are having difficulty reaching possible passengers in the capsized ferry, Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhurman has said.
Speaking from the crisis centre set up in the area, he told reporters: “We have still not been able to reach 23 people. Search and rescue teams are working very intensively to find them.
"If there are people still inside the vessel, reaching them does not appear easy at the moment. Efforts are being made using other technologies to reach them as well.”
Mr Erhurman said there was a “great sense of shock” about the incident, noting that the weather was considered suitable for travel.
“This is not something we have experienced before… we are extremely saddened. Everyone is doing everything they can and making every effort,” he said.
Harriette Boucher30 August 2026 15:19
In pictures: Capsized ferry carrying hundreds of passengers was 'high speed craft'
The Filo Jet ferry that capsized off the coast of northern Cyprus today was a “high speed craft” sailing under a Turkish flag.
According to Marine Traffic, it left the northern Cypriot port of Kyrenia at 11:58am on Sunday and was due to arrive at Tasucu in Turkey at 5.52pm local time.
The ferry, which belonged to operator Filo Denizcilik, was 40.5m long and 10.4m wide and built in 2000.
Filo Denizcilik operates ferry services connecting Northern Cyprus and Turkey and goes between four different ports.
