Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) Prime Minister Unal Ustel has said at least 237 have been rescued, seven are dead, and 23 are missing after a vessel carrying 267 people capsized, as President Recep Tayyip Erdogan offers condolences to the families of those who lost their lives and well wishes to those rescued.
Ustel said on Sunday all available resources had been mobilised for rescue efforts, with 172 people rescued so far.
"Along with the coast guard, our people rushed to the scene. Everyone with a boat went to help. Our medical teams are ready, and we have made all necessary preparations," he said, adding that authorities were closely monitoring the incident.
"The vessel was supposed to travel to Türkiye yesterday but departed today due to weather conditions. However, it was hit by a first wave at sea, and while the captain was trying to recover, the vessel began taking on water after a second wave hit," he noted.
Erdogan offers condolences
Meanwhile, President Erdogan has said Türkiye mobilised all available resources for extensive rescue operations.
In a statement on the Turkish social media platform NSosyal, Erdogan offered condolences to the families of those who lost their lives and offered his well wishes to those rescued.
“Immediately after the accident, we launched extensive search and rescue operations in cooperation with the authorities of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus,” he said.
He said efforts to reach those still missing were continuing uninterrupted, expressing hope for positive news from the search operations.
“We are also closely following this process, for which we have mobilised all the resources of our state,” Erdogan said.
Rescue efforts
Separately, Türkiye's Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz said on the Turkish social media platform NSosyal that search and rescue operations launched by coast guard units of the TRNC and Türkiye, along with relevant institutions, were continuing without interruption.
"At this point, our primary priority is rescuing the passengers and crew. We are closely following this tragic incident and providing every kind of support to search and rescue efforts," Yilmaz said.
"I extend my best wishes to the passengers and crew aboard the vessel and to our nation," he added.
The privately operated passenger ferry departed Girne Port at around 0930 GMT for Tasucu Port in Türkiye's southern Mersin province but began taking on water for an as-yet-unknown reason shortly after leaving the port.
After the ferry began taking on water, the captain issued a distress call, prompting the coast guard and port authorities to dispatch rescue teams to the area.
Public Works and Transport Minister Erhan Arikli said 267 people were aboard the ferry, including 259 passengers and eight crew members, adding that the cause of the incident had yet to be determined.
Eyewitnesses said some passengers jumped into the sea after the vessel began taking on water.
Fishing boats in the area were also reported to have joined the rescue operation.
