At least 8 dead and more missing after ferry carrying hundreds capsizes off Cyprus’ northern coast

By Tim Lister, Oliver Sherwood, Gul Tuysuz, CNN

(CNN) — A rescue operation is underway in the Mediterranean after a passenger ferry carrying nearly 270 people capsized while traveling from northern Cyprus to Turkey, killing at least eight people.

Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhürman said 241 people had been rescued alive, but 18 people are still missing.

“Investigation is ongoing. Priority is with the search and rescue but concurrently the police are carrying out their investigation. Any comments on the cause will just be speculation at this time,” Erhürman said.

The prime minister of the self-declared Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, Ünal Üstel, said the ferry’s capsizing was “the biggest maritime disaster Cyprus has ever experienced,” adding that the vessel’s captain and seven crew members have been detained.

The Filo Jet was carrying 259 passengers and eight crew members from Girne, also known as Kyrenia, to Taşucu in southern Turkey when it began taking on water just a few miles off the coast of Cyprus, according to the Turkish Interior Ministry.

The ferry was one of several shuttle sea services that link north Cyprus, a breakaway unrecognized Turkish Cypriot state, with Turkey daily.

Video from the scene of the ship’s capsizing showed dozens of people on the side of the vessel and others in life-jackets in the water.

One survivor described a chaotic scene as water began entering the vessel before it capsized. Efe Multici told CNN Türk that passengers alerted crew members after noticing water seeping into the ferry but said their concerns were not initially taken seriously.

“I was downstairs, and water started seeping in. We told the crew. It was really windy,” Multici said. “The ship kept coming up and then crashing down. When the water started seeping in, we told the crew. They didn’t take it seriously.”

According to Multici, the situation rapidly deteriorated after crew members informed the captain. He described difficulties finding life jackets and reaching emergency exits as the vessel listed sharply to one side.

“Some people couldn’t find the life vests, so they had to jump off without them. It was a huge issue: the life vests,” he said. “The ship went sideways at some point. It rolled toward the left. Some people broke the windows, some doors didn’t open.”

Multici said he eventually found a life vest and reached an inflatable raft.

Turkish Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş, said in post on X that he extended his condolences to those who had lost their lives in “this exceedingly tragic incident.”

Four coastguard vessels from northern Cyprus and a passenger vessel took part in rescue operations, the Turkish Interior Ministry said, as well as two coastguard helicopters to the area.

From the south of the island, the Greek-aligned Republic of Cyprus also expressed condolences and offered assistance following the disaster.

Greek Cypriot government spokesperson Konstantinos Letymbiotis said authorities were following developments “with deep sorrow and concern” and reiterated the government’s readiness to contribute to search-and-rescue efforts and mobilize any necessary resources. “At a time like this, the preservation of human life is paramount,” he said on X.

The US diplomatic mission in Turkey also expressed condolences following the disaster.

In a statement posted on X on Sunday, the US Embassy in Turkey said it extended its “heartfelt condolences” to the families of those who lost their lives and added that its thoughts remained with those still missing and everyone affected by the incident.

The United Nations’ top representative in Cyprus, Khassim Diagne, expressed his condolences on Sunday, saying he was “deeply saddened” following the capsizing of the passenger ferry.

“Our thoughts are with all those impacted by this tragedy and with the rescue teams continuing their efforts to save lives,” Diagne said on X.

Video from the scene showed at least one helicopter hovering above the capsized vessel.

The vessel was seen north of Girne on Sunday morning, according to MarineTraffic tracking data, before transmissions of its position ceased.

A live stream from Girne showed people who had reached the port by helicopter and on rescue boats – amid the sound of ambulance sirens. Several ambulances were shown lined up at the harbor.

This is a developing story that has been updated.

The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2026 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.