At least seven dead in ferry accident off Cyprus

 

TT

 

Published 13.10Updated 17.35

  

Passengers in life jackets rescued by a speedboat after the ship accident. Photo: DHA/AP/TT

A passenger ferry with 267 people on board capsized off Cyprus on Sunday, Turkish media reported.

At least seven people have died and 237 people have been rescued so far.

Northern Cyprus Prime Minister Ünal Üstel told the state-run Turkish television channel TRT.

According to Üstel, the ferry, a catamaran, encountered severe weather conditions and began taking on water just 15 minutes after departure. The ferry capsized a few kilometers off the northern coast of Cyprus.

It was sailing from Kyrenia to Tasucu in southern Turkey. There were 259 passengers and eight crew members on board.

Of the 237 rescued, just over 160 have been taken to hospital. The rest have not required hospital treatment. A search operation for more than 20 people still missing was underway on Sunday afternoon.

Northern Cyprus Transport Minister Erhan Arikli told TRT that the ship had sunk to the bottom, at a depth of more than 500 meters.

Pictures on social media show people sitting on the ferry's hull waiting to be rescued.

The ferry, a high-speed catamaran, is about 40 meters long with two parallel hulls, which reduces water resistance and allows it to reach very high speeds.