Survivors say ferry crew locked passenger cabin as vessel sank off Kyrenia

Kyrenia, Cyprus. Survivors of a ferry that sank off the coast of Kyrenia on Sunday alleged that crew members locked the doors to the passenger cabin as the vessel began taking on water shortly after departing for Turkey.

Passengers describe sinking

Burak Arif Kaya, 23, a dentistry student in Cyprus, told the north’s Tak news agency that passengers noticed water entering the ferry as they boarded at Kyrenia’s new port.

According to Kaya, when passengers raised the issue, captain Mustafa Oz responded: “How many years have I been a captain? I know this job better than you.”

Kaya said there was a noise from the front of the vessel before crew members attempted to calm passengers. He said water soon began filling the boat and that no one was helping passengers.

“They locked the doors. The captain and his first mate jumped off the boat,” he said.

Captain’s departure alleged

Local tour boat operator Mustafa Koc, who sailed to the capsizing ferry to assist those on board, also alleged that the captain was the first person to leave the vessel.

Koc told Turkish television channel NTV that he had taken both the captain and the first mate onto his boat.

“The captain of the boat got off first. I had the captain on board my boat. I took him. I also had the first mate,” he said.

Rescue efforts

Kaya said he and two friends, 22-year-old Burak Can Keskin and 20-year-old Sudenaz Sonmez, pulled an eight-months-pregnant woman and three children from the sinking ferry.

Keskin said the ferry stopped and sank shortly after setting sail. He said passengers broke a window to escape.

“We broke the window and got out. Otherwise, we would not have been able to. There were a lot of waves. Even someone who knew how to swim could have drowned. Everyone was in trouble,” he said.