A catamaran-style ferry carrying nearly 270 passengers and crew members capsized off the northern coast of Cyprus on Sunday while travelling towards Turkey, Turkish media reported. The vessel was carrying 259 passengers and eight crew members when it ran into trouble at sea. Rescue operations were launched after the ferry began taking in water, with many people subsequently pulled from the vessel and surrounding waters. The ferry had departed from the port of Kyrenia, also known as Girne, in the Turkish-controlled northern part of ethnically divided Cyprus. It was travelling towards the Turkish port of Tasucu in Mersin province when the incident occurred.

According to Turkey's state-run TRT broadcaster, the vessel began taking in water approximately 7.5 kilometres, or around four nautical miles, off the northern Cyprus coast. Ali Murat Basceri, Turkey's ambassador to Nicosia, said there had been casualties in the incident but did not provide a specific number. Speaking to TRT, Basceri said many of the passengers and crew members had been rescued. Some of those rescued were taken to hospitals for medical treatment, although details about the nature or severity of their injuries were not immediately available. Kyrenia Mayor Murat Senkul said the ferry was operated by Filo Denizcilik, a ferry company serving routes between northern Cyprus and Turkey.

Senkul said the vessel sank off the coast near Diana beach on the northern coastline. The circumstances that caused the ferry to take on water and eventually capsize were not immediately clear, and authorities had not provided details about a possible mechanical failure, weather conditions or other contributing factors. Footage from the scene showed passengers wearing life jackets and floating in the water around the overturned vessel. The images indicated that passengers had been able to evacuate or were removed from the ferry as rescue efforts continued. The presence of life jackets and the deployment of rescue teams were central to efforts to locate and assist those who had entered the water.

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The incident prompted an emergency response involving authorities in northern Cyprus and Turkey. The number of people requiring hospital treatment remained unclear, while officials continued to assess the situation. The ambassador's statement confirmed that casualties had occurred, but authorities had yet to release a detailed breakdown of deaths or injuries. The ferry route connects northern Cyprus with Turkey across the eastern Mediterranean and is used for passenger travel between the two areas. Kyrenia, a major port city on the northern coast of Cyprus, is an important maritime link for crossings to Turkey.

The latest accident has raised immediate concerns over passenger safety as authorities work to establish what caused the vessel to capsize. Officials are expected to investigate the circumstances surrounding the accident, including why the ferry began taking in water several kilometres from the coastline. For now, rescue and medical assistance remain the immediate priorities, with authorities working to account for all 259 passengers and eight crew members who were aboard the vessel. Further information on casualties and the condition of those taken to hospital is expected as the response continues.

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