Ferry With 260 Aboard Capsizes Off Northern Cyprus Coast in Desperate Search for Survivors

A passenger ferry carrying approximately 260 people has capsized off the coast of northern Cyprus, triggering an urgent search and rescue operation, according to local media reports.

Vessel Goes Down Near Kyrenia

The catamaran-style vessel departed from the port of Kyrenia — also known by its Turkish name, Girne — before it began taking on water and eventually capsized just a few kilometres from the shoreline.

Rescue teams were swiftly deployed to the area as authorities scrambled to locate and retrieve survivors from the waters off the northern coast of the island.

Scale of the Incident

With around 260 people reported to have been on board at the time of the incident, the capsizing represents a potentially significant maritime disaster in the eastern Mediterranean region.

• The vessel was a catamaran-style passenger ferry
• It departed from the port of Kyrenia in northern Cyprus
• The boat began sinking several kilometres off the coast
• A search and rescue operation was launched immediately

Search Operation Underway

Local media in northern Cyprus confirmed that a search was underway for survivors, though details regarding the number of casualties or those successfully rescued had not been fully established at the time of initial reports.

Further updates are expected as rescue operations continue and authorities provide official statements on the situation.

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