At least eight people were killed and nearly 20 remained missing on Monday after a passenger ferry capsized off Turkish Occuped Northern Cyprus on Sunday, with divers joining rescue teams in a search for possible survivors.
The double-hulled vessel was carrying 267 people when it ran into trouble shortly after departing the port city of occupied Kyrenia on Sunday for Tasucu, a Turkish port in Mersin province. The route is one of several daily ferry connections between northern Cyprus and Turkey.
The ferry took on water before overturning, leaving some passengers stranded on the upturned hull. Passing vessels and coast guard authorities rescued those who survived the incident.
Girne’de Deniz Faciası: Filo Jet Battı, 8 Kişi Hayatını Kaybetti
Kuzey Kıbrıs Türk Cumhuriyeti’nde Girne’den Mersin’in Taşucu Limanı’na gitmek üzere yola çıkan Filo Jet isimli yolcu gemisinin alabora olarak batması büyük faciaya yol açtı.
Gemide 259 yolcu ve 8 mürettebat olmak… pic.twitter.com/1aZ3acSCB8
— objektifcesme (@objektifcesme) August 30, 2026
The vessel later came to rest on the seabed at a depth of more than 500 meters (1,640 feet), raising questions about whether anyone could still be trapped inside.
Divers join search for missing passengers
Divers from Turkey were assisting rescue teams in the search, officials said.
Authorities gave slightly different figures for the number of people still unaccounted for, with estimates ranging from 18 to 19.
Girne–Taşucu seferinde 267 kişiyi taşıyan Feribot kazasında;
—241 kişi kurtarıldı
—8 kişi hayatını kaybetti,
—18 kişi kayıp.Yolcular tarafından “𝐬𝐮 𝐚𝐥𝛊𝐲𝐨𝐫𝐮𝐳” uyarıları görmezden gelinmiş.‼️
Geçmiş olsun Yavru Vatan
Geçmiş olsun Türkiye’m 🇹🇷 pic.twitter.com/UGNZYQnj7K— Togay (@T_o_g_a_y_) August 30, 2026
It was also unclear exactly what happened moments before the ferry sank. Separate accounts said the vessel shook violently before striking the surface of the sea, with part of its bow reportedly breaking open on impact.
Girne açıklarında yaşanan Filo Jet faciasına ilişkin ortaya çıkan yeni görüntüler, geminin alabora olarak batış anını görüntüledi.
Video: Murat Şahin#haber #kktc #kıbrıs pic.twitter.com/SLwU4GzktH
— Kıbrıs Postası (@kibris_postasi) August 30, 2026
The captain and crew were detained for questioning, according to authorities.
Families wait for news
Outside Kyrenia port, relatives and friends gathered through the early hours of Monday, waiting for information about those aboard.
“Gemi batıyor! Çocuklar var!”
Girne açıklarında alabora olan gemide yolcuların son anları böyle görüntülendi. pic.twitter.com/VzmkMwxMUa
— Kıbrıs Postası (@kibris_postasi) August 30, 2026
As reported in Reuters, Naif Ezer said he had been waiting for 12 hours or more. Three friends had been traveling home to visit their families, he said, but while one had been found, the other two were still missing.
Others at the port waited in silence, with some crying as they followed updates on their phones.
Ayten Bicer was among those waiting for news of her two missing children.
The search continued Monday as rescue crews and divers scoured the deep waters around the overturned ferry.
People gather by a hospital entrance, after a passenger boat capsized off the coast of Kyrenia in Turkish-controlled northern Cyprus, August 30, 2026. REUTERS/Yiannis Kourtoglou
Relatives react as they wait outside Kyrenia port, after a passenger boat capsized off the coast of Kyrenia, in Turkish-controlled northern Cyprus, August 31, 2026. REUTERS/Yiannis Kourtoglou TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY
People react, as they gather by a hospital, after a passenger boat capsized off the coast of Kyrenia in Turkish-controlled northern Cyprus, August 30, 2026. REUTERS/Yiannis Kourtoglou
