The captain of a ferry that capsized off the coast of northern Cyprus, along with seven crew members, has been detained in custody. The death toll stands at eight, with 18 people still missing, in what has been described as the island's "biggest maritime disaster."
The vessel, named Filo Jet, was carrying 267 people in total — 259 passengers and 8 crew members — and was 2km (1.2 miles) north of the coast of Kyrenia when the incident occurred. The ferry was sailing from the port of Kyrenia to the port of Taşucu in Turkey on Sunday.
Arrests and investigation announced
Ünal Üstel, prime minister of the self-proclaimed Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, said in a lengthy Facebook post that the captain and seven crew members have been arrested. He said "every aspect" of the incident will be investigated.
Üstel vowed: "Even the slightest negligence will be uncovered. No one will be spared, regardless of who is found to be at fault or responsible. It is both the duty of our state and its responsibility to the people we have lost and their families to fully illuminate all aspects of this great tragedy."
Rescue efforts and missing passengers
Earlier, Üstel declared the accident as the island's "biggest maritime disaster" and said that 237 passengers had been rescued, although the current figure is unclear. Around 237 passengers have been rescued, according to reports.
Northern Cyprus transport minister Erhan Arıklı said the ferry sank to a depth of 514 metres, with a fully-equipped vessel, and that the ferry's black box "must be recovered" to establish why it sank. On Sunday evening, Arıklı told TRT that the ship had completely sunk.
Relatives and international response
The president of the self-styled Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, Tufan Erhurman, said it didn't "appear easy" to reach any people that may potentially still be trapped inside the vessel. Rescued passengers have been brought back to the shore, including three children who have been taken to intensive care.
A hotline has been established to provide relatives of passengers with information, while the nationalities of those on board and the condition of the injured remain unclear.
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.
