On August 30, a tragic incident occurred when a ferry capsized off the coast of Northern Cyprus, leading to the deaths of at least 7 people and leaving 23 others missing. The ferry, which had around 270 passengers and crew members on board, departed from the port of Kyrenia at 12:30 PM local time and soon began to take on water under unclear circumstances.

The ferry was headed to the port of Tasucu in Mersin, Turkey, when it capsized just offshore from Kyrenia, a popular resort area for both locals and tourists. Tufan Erhurman, a leader of the Turkish Cypriot community, reported that 237 individuals were successfully rescued, but expressed deep sorrow over the confirmed deaths.

“We have managed to bring 237 survivors to shore. However, we also found 7 deceased individuals. We are profoundly saddened by this,” Erhurman stated during a live broadcast on CNN Turk. Video footage showed survivors wearing red life jackets sitting or standing on the upturned hull of the ferry as authorities deployed coast guard vessels and private boats to assist in rescue efforts.

Erhurman added, “We have not yet been able to reach 23 individuals. The search and rescue teams are working tirelessly to locate them. If there are still people inside the ferry, it seems challenging to access them at this moment. We are also using other technologies to find ways to reach them.”

The island of Cyprus has been effectively divided since 1974 due to years of conflict between the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities. Since then, the southern part has been controlled by the Republic of Cyprus, while the northern part is managed by the Turkish Cypriot administration.