Eight confirmed dead after passenger ferry sinks off Kyrenia

Kyrenia, Cyprus. Eight people have been confirmed dead after a passenger ferry sank off the coast of Kyrenia, according to the north’s ‘transport minister’ Erhan Arikli. Search teams are continuing efforts to locate 17 people who remain unaccounted for.

Rescue operation

The ferry had 267 people on board when it departed Kyrenia at midday. A total of 242 people have been brought ashore, Arikli said.

Dozens of people were taken to hospitals in Kyrenia and northern Nicosia after being rescued. A fleet of ambulances was deployed to Kyrenia after the vessel capsized.

Searches planned at seabed

Arikli said the ferry sank to a depth of 514 metres after capsizing. A fully equipped vessel and divers from Turkey were expected to arrive within hours to conduct searches on the seabed.

He said the ferry’s black box must be recovered to establish why the vessel sank.

Questions over seaworthiness

Arikli rejected suggestions that the ferry was not seaworthy, saying it had been inspected two months earlier by what he described as a reliable company.

However, he acknowledged that the vessel took on water very quickly before sinking.

Condolences and assistance offer

Cypriot government spokesman Konstantinos Letymbiotis expressed deep sadness over the incident and offered condolences to the families of those who died.

He said the Republic of Cyprus had declared its readiness from the outset to assist immediately with search and rescue operations and to make all necessary resources available.

“At such a time, the protection of human life is above all else,” he said.