Rescue underway after Turkish ferry carrying hundreds of people capsizes off Cyprus
Rescue Underway After Turkish Ferry Capsizes Off Cyprus
Healfromzero.com – Rescue underway after Turkish ferry Filo Jet rolled onto its side within sight of the Cypriot shoreline on Sunday morning, killing at least six people and scattering hundreds of passengers into choppy eastern Mediterranean waters. The vessel had left Kyrenia, in the Turkish-administered north of the island, bound for Taşucu on Turkey’s southern coast. At the moment of flooding it carried 259 passengers and eight crew members — 267 souls in total — just a few miles from shore.
What Happened and How the Response Unfolded
MarineTraffic tracking data showed the Filo Jet positioned north of Kyrenia before its signal vanished abruptly. Witnesses along the Kyrenia waterfront and on-scene video captured the ship listing violently in rough seas before completing a full capsize. In the minutes that followed, dozens of passengers clung to the exposed hull while others in life jackets drifted in the surrounding water, visible from land.
The Interior Ministry of the Turkish republic of northern Cyprus confirmed that four coastguard vessels and a civilian passenger ship were dispatched to the accident zone. Two coastguard helicopters joined the operation, with aerial footage showing at least one aircraft hovering over the overturned hull as crews extracted survivors. At the Kyrenia harbor, ambulance sirens punctuated the arrival of the first wave of rescued passengers — some airlifted, others brought in by small rescue boats — while emergency vehicles stood staged along the quay.
Ünal Üstel, Prime Minister of the Turkish republic of northern Cyprus, addressed Turkish-language media to confirm that 172 individuals had been pulled from the sea and to stress that search-and-recovery missions were ongoing. He noted that additional persons remained unaccounted for and that every available asset was being committed to locate them.
Political Reaction and Route Context
Numan Kurtulmuş, Speaker of the Turkish Grand National Assembly, posted on the social platform X to describe the event as “this exceedingly tragic incident” and extended condolences to the families of those killed. The statement marked how swiftly the disaster escalated from a local maritime emergency into a matter of national significance for Turkey, given that the vessel flew the northern Cypriot flag and many aboard were Turkish nationals or residents.
The Kyrenia-to-Taşucu crossing, roughly 120 nautical miles of open water, is among the busiest short-sea ferry links in the region, ferrying thousands of commuters, students, and tourists weekly. Late-summer conditions can turn rough quickly, making hull integrity and early flooding detection critical. Because the Filo Jet began taking on water so close to the Cypriot coast, investigators will need to determine whether a hull breach, a stability failure, or a combination of factors precipitated the rapid capsize. No preliminary cause assessment had been released as of the latest updates.
Officials cautioned that the death toll of six could change as recovery operations progressed. The gap between the 267 persons aboard and the 172 confirmed rescued meant dozens remained unlocated. Search teams continued working through the day, aided by aerial surveillance from the two helicopters and visual sweeps from surface vessels, while families gathered at the Kyrenia harbor awaiting news.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many people were aboard the Filo Jet? 259 passengers and eight crew members, for a total of 267.
How many have been rescued so far? 172 individuals had been confirmed rescued as of the latest official briefing. Search operations for remaining persons were still underway.
Where did the capsizing occur? North of Kyrenia, in the Turkish-administered north of Cyprus, within visible range of the shoreline.
What is the expected cause? Authorities have not yet released a preliminary cause assessment. An investigation will follow once all survivors are accounted for and the vessel’s condition is fully evaluated.
What route was the ferry operating? The Kyrenia-to-Taşucu crossing, a roughly 120-nautical-mile link between the Turkish-administered north of Cyprus and Turkey’s southern coast.
