A vessel with around 270 people on board capsized this Sunday off the north of Cyprus, according to El País reporting from Reuters and Turkish Cypriot media. Authorities have deployed a search and rescue operation that remains active and, for the moment, there is no definitive balance of victims.
The accident occurred off the coast of Kyrenia. The first information about the number of passengers presents some differences: while the initial reports mention about 270 people, the mayor of the locality, Murat Senkul, has stated to CNN Turk that 258 people were on board and that 159 have already been located.
The ship began to fill with water four miles from the coast
According to the Turkish Cypriot newspaper Kibris, the vessel, which some sources describe as a catamaran, began to fill with water when it was approximately four miles from the coast. Shortly after, it capsized, triggering the mobilization of emergency teams.
Authorities have sent ambulances to the area while efforts continue to locate all the people who were on board. The priority of emergency services is to determine how many occupants have managed to reach land or have been rescued and how many remain unlocated.
The search and rescue operation continues
The operation is ongoing and authorities have not yet confirmed either fatalities or a definitive number of missing persons. The exact causes for which the ship began to take on water are also still unknown.
The difference between the initial figures of occupants also requires caution in any balance. The data available early in the afternoon comes from local authorities and media in the area and may vary as the rescue progresses.
The mayor of Kyrenia has placed the number of people already located at 159 out of a total of 258, but that information does not yet allow for concluding that the rest are missing, as the count continues while teams work in the area.
No confirmed causes at the moment
The circumstances of the accident are still under investigation. So far, it has only been reported that the vessel began to fill with water before capsizing, without clarification on whether the incident was related to a malfunction, sea conditions, a structural problem, or any other circumstance.
The event is still in an initial phase and the authorities are focusing their efforts on rescue tasks. The definitive balance of passengers, possible injured, missing or deceased remains therefore open awaiting new official communications.