Rescuers are searching for 18 passengers after a ferry carrying 259 people capsized off the coast of northern Cyprus on Sunday. Eight people have died and 19 are being treated in hospitals, while 11 people have been arrested or warrants issued for their arrest in connection with the incident. The ferry, which was sailing from Kyrenia to Turkey, began taking on water after two waves hit it, according to Prime Minister Ünal Üstel. Authorities are attempting to recover the vessel's black box recorder to establish what happened.
Written by the local model on 2026-08-31,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
A ferry carrying 259 passengers and 8 crew members capsized off the coast of Northern Cyprus on Sunday, resulting in the deaths of 8 people. The vessel was traveling from the northern port of Girne (also known as Kyrenia) to the Turkish port of Tasucu when it began taking on water shortly after departing. A rescue operation was launched, and while 241 passengers were rescued, 18 are still missing. The captain and 7 crew members, along with another man, have been arrested in connection with the incident. Authorities are attempting to recover the ferry's black box recorder to determine what caused the disaster.
Written for “Boat Capsizes in Northern Cyprus” on 2026-08-31,
grounded in this article and the 1 other(s) covering the same event.
Why this leaning score
This article does not take a side on a contested political
question, so it has no leaning score. That is an
answer rather than a gap: a match report or a rescue can be warmly
or critically written without being left or right, and scoring it
anyway is how approval of a subject gets recorded as a political
position.
No political leaning scored for article 3321 · logged 2026-08-31
- Published
Rescuers are continuing their search for 18 passengers of a ferry which capsized off the coast of northern Cyprus on Sunday.
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which → publish → Sunday
The vessel, which was carrying 259 passengers and eight crew members, began taking on water soon after departing the coastal town of Kyrenia in the self-proclaimed Turkish republic on Cyprus.
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which → carry → Cyprus
Eight people have been confirmed to have died in the incident, while 19 are currently being treated at hospitals in northern Cyprus, local authorities say.
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authorities → confirm → Cyprus
The ship's captain, seven crew members, and another man were arrested on Monday, while warrants have been issued for a further seven people.
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warrants → arrest → people
Ünal Üstel, Prime Minister of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), which is only recognised by Turkey, announced a three-day period of national mourning.
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which → recognise → mourning
The boat has completely sunk and is lying at a depth of 514m (1,686ft), officials say.
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officials → sink → m
Debris remains scattered across the water, including a black wheelie suitcase bobbing on the surface and a sheet of steel that appeared to have broken away from the ferry.
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that → remain → ferry
Authorities are attempting to recover the vessel's black box recorder to establish what happened.
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what → attempt → recorder
The privately owned ferry left the popular holiday resort of Kyrenia at about 12:30 (09:30 GMT), en route to the town of Tasucu in Turkey.
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ferry → own → Turkey
It had been scheduled to travel to Turkey on Saturday but its journey was delayed due to poor weather conditions.
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journey → schedule → conditions
Üstel told local media the boat was hit by two waves before it capsized.
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it → tell → waves
While the captain of the vessel was trying to recover from the first wave, a second wave hit and it began taking on water, he said.
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he → try → water
Among the missing are Ayten Bicer's two children - her 12-year-old daughter Miray and six-year-old son Mehmet Asaf.
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children → miss → missing
She told local media she felt Miray slip out of her hands and disappear as they tried to cling on to the overturned boat.
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they → tell → boat
"She was saying, 'Don't let go'.
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She → say → ?
And I didn't let go of my daughter.
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I → let → daughter
I swear, I didn't let her go," Bicer said.
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Bicer → swear → ?
She said a suitcase fell on top of her which forced her daughter from her grip.
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which → say → grip
She managed to grab hold of her daughter's foot, but her shoes were coated in engine oil from the overturned vessel and she slipped through her hands.
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she → manage → hands
She and her husband, Hayri, are by the port in Kyrenia with other families as they await news of their loved ones.
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they → await → ones
The ferry - a high-speed 40m long, 10m wide Filo Jet vessel - sails under the flag of Turkey, according to Marine Traffic.
uncertain
ferry → sail → Traffic
Filo Denizcilik, the company which operates the capsized passenger boat, said it was "deeply saddened by the tragic accident".
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it → operate → accident
The TRNC controls the northern third of the island of Cyprus, which has been divided since 1974.
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which → control → 1974
