Search operations continued through the night on Sunday for 18 people still missing after the Filo Jet ferry capsized and sank off northern Cyprus, killing eight passengers.
The catamaran was carrying 259 passengers and eight crew when it left Kyrenia for the Turkish port of Taşucu at about 12.30pm local time. It began taking on water roughly four nautical miles from the coast before overturning.
Some survivors were seen clinging to the upturned hull as rescue teams worked to bring people ashore. Officials said 241 passengers and crew had been rescued alive by late evening.
The ferry later settled on the seabed in waters believed to be about 514 metres deep, complicating efforts to locate those who remain unaccounted for.
Captain and crew detained after ferry sinking
Ünal Üstel, prime minister of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, said the captain and seven other crew members had been detained as part of an investigation into the disaster.
He said every aspect of the sinking would be examined and that any negligence or responsibility uncovered by investigators would be dealt with.
The cause of the accident has not been established. The vessel’s operator, Filo Denizcilik, said its immediate priority was the safety of passengers and crew, while urging relatives to rely on statements from the company and official authorities.
Turkish and Turkish Cypriot coastguard vessels, helicopters, naval units and diving teams were involved in the search. Authorities said the operation would continue until all those missing had been located.
The ferry service links Kyrenia with Taşucu in Turkey’s Mersin province, across the eastern Mediterranean.
