Turkey: Seven killed and 23 missing in boat capsizing off northern Cyprus

[whole diary]

[Chris from Nailsea]

From the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page):

Seven killed and 23 missing in boat capsizing off northern Cyprus

At least seven people have died and 23 others are still missing after a passenger boat capsized off northern Cyprus, the head of the Turkish administration there has said.

Ünal Üstel, prime minister of the self-proclaimed Turkish republic there, said the ferry had been carrying 259 passengers and eight crew members when it began taking on water after departing the coastal town of Kyrenia.

The ship's captain and seven crew members have been detained as part of an investigation into "how this tragedy occurred", Üstel wrote on social media.

A search and rescue operation to find the passengers still unaccounted for is under way, which Turkish authorities have joined. Turkish media is reporting the death toll has risen to eight.

The privately owned ferry left the left the popular holiday resort of Kyrenia at 12:30 local time (09:30 GMT), local media reported.

Üstel said the boat had been scheduled to travel to Turkey on Saturday, but had been delayed due to poor weather conditions.

He told Turkish media outlet TRT that the boat was hit by two waves before it capsized.  While the captain of the vessel was trying to recover from the first wave, a second wave hit and it began taking on water, he told the outlet.

Helicopters and coastguard boats have been dispatched to the scene, while ambulances have been stationed on the beach ready to receive rescued passengers.

Üstel wrote on social media that the "priority right now is human life", adding that security forces, rescue teams and health officials were all on the scene.  He added the disaster will be thoroughly investigated and "even the slightest negligence will be uncovered.  No one will be spared, regardless of who they are, who is found to be at fault or responsible," Üstel said.

Erhan Arikli, the transport minister of the self-declared Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), which is only recognised by Turkey, told local media that 100 passengers had been taken to shore.

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan sent his condolences to Turkish Cypriots and said efforts to reach those who were still missing "continue uninterrupted".

"Immediately after the accident, we launched extensive search-and-rescue operations in co-operation with the authorities of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus," he said at a military ceremony on Sunday.

(BBC article continues)

[Chris from Nailsea]

An update, from the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page):

'She slipped out of my hand' - children missing after ferry sinks off northern Cyprus

Ayten Bicer felt her 12-year-old daughter slip from her grasp and disappear as the ferry they were travelling on capsized off the coast of northern Cyprus on Sunday, killing eight people.

Her daughter Miray and six-year-old son Memhet Asaf are among 20 people still missing after the vessel sunk while en route to Turkey from the coastal town of Kyrenia, in the self-proclaimed Turkish republic on Cyprus.

She and her husband Hayri survived, and like many other families are waiting for news of their loved ones back in port as rescuers continue to search.  "She was saying, 'Don't let go'. And I didn't let go of my daughter. I swear, I didn't let her go," Bicer told reporters through tears.

Bicer said a suitcase fell on top of her, which forced her daughter from her grip. She managed to grab hold of her daughter's foot, but her shoes were coated in engine oil from the overturned vessel and she slipped through her hands.  "It was slippery everywhere. It was like oil. She slipped out of my hand," she recalled.

The family was returning to Turkey after a holiday on the Mediterranean island.  "We couldn't intervene, we lost our children," Hayri Bicer said. "Two of my three children are gone. We left them. We are leaving them on this island as we go."

The vessel had been carrying 259 passengers and eight crew members. Nineteen passengers are currently being treated in hospitals in northern Cyprus, local authorities say.

The eight crew members, including the ship's captain, and one other man were formally arrested on Monday. They will be detained for three days, while warrants have been issued for several other people.

The privately owned ferry left the popular holiday resort of Kyrenia at about 12:30 (09:30 GMT), en route to the town of Tasucu in Turkey.

It had been scheduled to travel to Turkey on Saturday but its journey was delayed due to severe storms hitting the island. The seas were still rough on Sunday.  Some eyewitness accounts say the double-hulled ferry jolted violently before slamming onto the sea surface, with part of its bow bursting open on impact.

Ünal Üstel, prime minister of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), which is only recognised by Turkey, told local media the boat was hit by two waves before it capsized.  While the captain of the vessel was trying to recover from the first wave, a second wave hit and it began taking on water, he said.

(BBC article continues)