Ferry accident off Cyprus: At least six dead

At least six people have died in a ferry accident off the island of Cyprus. The ship carrying more than 250 passengers capsized shortly after leaving the port city of Kyrenia, Northern Cypriot Prime Minister Ünal Üstel said, according to the Turkish state news agency Anadolu. The ship was on its way to Mersin in southern Turkey.

172 people were rescued. The rescue operation continues. According to Cypriot Transport Minister Erhan Arikli, water entered the ferry and an emergency call was made.

Images from CNN Türk showed people in life jackets waiting to be brought to safety. A helicopter circled overhead. According to the broadcaster, the captain initially tried to turn back.

Turkish Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz wrote on X that the Turkish Coast Guard was assisting in the rescue. The catamaran-type ferry capsized. According to Turkish authorities, the distress call was made four nautical miles off the coast. It was initially unclear why water was able to enter the ship.

Transport Minister Arikli told Turkish and Cypriot media that there were a total of 267 people on the ferry, including 259 passengers and 8 crew members.

Cyprus has been de facto divided since 1974 following a coup by nationalist Greek Cypriots and subsequent Turkish military intervention. In 1983, the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (KKTC) was proclaimed, recognized only by Turkey in the world. In 2004, the EU accepted the island of Cyprus as a whole into the EU.