At least seven people died and 23 others remained missing after a passenger ferry capsized off the coast of northern Cyprus on Sunday, August 30, 2026, according to regional authorities and international news reports. The catamaran-style vessel, identified by the Turkish Cypriot interior ministry as the Filojet, was carrying 259 passengers and eight crew members when it encountered rough conditions and began taking on water.
Emergency Rescue Operations Underway off Kyrenia Coast
The privately owned ferry left the port of Kyrenia at 12:30 p.m. local time on Sunday, heading for the Turkish port of Tasucu in Mersin province, according to the sources. Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhurman stated in a live broadcast with CNN Turk that 237 people had been successfully rescued alive, while search teams raced against time to locate the 23 missing individuals. Video footage from the scene showed survivors in red life jackets clinging to the overturned hull of the vessel as emergency crews arrived.
Turkish Cypriot Prime Minister Unal Ustel told the Turkish state-run TRT news channel that the ferry began taking on water just 15 minutes after its departure. Kyrenia Mayor Murat Senkul confirmed that the ship belonged to the Filo Denizcilik ferry company and sank approximately 7.5 kilometers, or four nautical miles, off the coast near Diana Beach. The interior ministry deployed four Turkish Cypriot coast guard vessels, a civilian passenger boat, five Turkish coastguard vessels, and two helicopters to coordinate the rescue effort.
Weather Conditions and Official Response
While the region was battered by fierce storms on Saturday that caused a fatal boating accident in the island’s southeast, Erhurman noted that weather conditions were initially deemed suitable for travel when the ferry departed. Authorities have established a crisis management center in the area to direct ongoing maritime and aerial search operations. Prime Minister Ustel emphasized that human life remains the sole priority as security forces, health teams, and rescue elements maintain full coordination on the ground.
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