From the Liveblog of
Sunday, August 30, 2026
Ferry carrying hundreds of people capsizes off Northern Cyprus; rescue underway
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleA passenger ferry capsizes off Northern Cyprus shortly after leaving port, and it is not known yet whether there were casualties, the local government says.
“Around 100 passengers have been evacuated and taken to shore,” the transport minister of the self-proclaimed Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), Erhan Arikli, tells local television.
He adds that the vessel was “taking on water” and a rescue operation was under way.
It is not immediately known how many people in total had been on board the ferry, which had left the Northern Cyprus port of Kyrenia headed for the Turkish port of Tasucu.
Images broadcast by Turkish television show the upside-down ferry in the water, with people wearing life vests atop its orange hull. The weather was sunny and several boats were seen in the area to lend assistance.
The TRNC, which is recognized only by Turkey, controls the northern third of the island of Cyprus, which has been divided since 1974.
YÜZLERCE YOLCU TERS DÖNEN GEMİNİN ÜZERİNDE KURTARILMAYI BEKLİYOR!
Girne Limanı'ndan çıkış yaptıktan kısa süre sonra 2-3 km açıkta alabora olan 250'den fazla kişinin bulunduğu Filo Jet'e ait Express Yolcu Gemisi'ndeki yolcular ters dönen geminin üzerinde kurtarılmayı bekliyor!… pic.twitter.com/IwYiaQs3pY
— Özgür Gazete Kıbrıs (@CyprusNewspaper) August 30, 2026
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