A passenger ferry carrying 267 people capsized off the northern coast of Cyprus on Sunday, resulting in at least eight fatalities and leaving dozens missing. Rescue operations involving local and Turkish teams were underway to locate survivors, with 18 passengers still unaccounted for, according to Tufan Erhurrman, president of the self-declared Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.

The ferry had departed from the Cypriot port of Kyrenia—known as Girne in Turkish—heading for Tasucu in southern Turkey. Turkish authorities reported that the vessel carried 259 passengers and eight crew members. It began taking on water approximately four miles from Kyrenia, reportedly after being hit by two significant waves amid rough seas. The Turkish Interior Ministry identified the vessel as a "catamaran-type" ferry.

Turkish Vice President Cedvet Yilmaz extended condolences to those aboard and the wider public, while the Turkish Interior Ministry confirmed that helicopters and naval units were actively participating in the search and rescue efforts. Unal Ustel, prime minister of northern Cyprus, described the incident as the "biggest maritime disaster Cyprus has experienced" and noted that the ferry’s departure had been delayed by a day due to adverse weather conditions.

During a briefing reported by Turkey’s state-run Anadolu agency, Ustel explained that after the ferry encountered the initial wave, the captain attempted to stabilize the vessel, but a second wave caused it to take on water rapidly. Four victims had been identified by late Sunday, with more ongoing search efforts conducted by combined Turkish and northern Cypriot rescue teams.

The nationalities of those aboard were not immediately confirmed. Passengers on this route are typically residents of northern Cyprus, many holding Turkish or Cypriot passports, as well as Turkish nationals from mainland Turkey.

As part of the ongoing investigation, authorities have detained the captain along with seven crew members. Northern Cyprus, a territory occupied by Turkey since 1974 and self-declared as an independent republic in 1983, is recognized only by Turkey. The incident underscores both the risks of maritime travel in the region and the ongoing complexities surrounding northern Cyprus.