Cyprus ferry disaster toll rises to 13, 15 missing

Update

Rescuers recovered another body on Saturday.

The confirmed death toll rose to 13.

The number of people still missing fell to 15.

Authorities said the ferry wreck had been located at a depth of 554 metres off Kyrenia.

Source note: AFP news report published on 5 September 2026 at 11:51:30 UTC.

Update

The confirmed death toll rose from 10 to 12 after rescuers found the bodies of two more women on Friday morning.

The number of missing people fell from 18 to 16.

TRNC Prime Minister Unal Ustel said search operations were continuing around the clock.

Media reports said police investigators told the court the catastrophe could have been avoided if the captain had reduced speed and carefully turned back to port when the ferry started taking on water.

Source note: AFP news report published on 4 September 2026 at 09:07:42 UTC.

Update

The death toll rose to 10 after another body was recovered on Thursday.

The number of missing people fell to 18.

Turkey's vice president Cevdet Yilmaz said more bodies were likely to be recovered in the coming days.

TRNC Prime Minister Unal Ustel said the missing were believed to have gone down with the ferry, which was lying at a depth of 514 metres.

Local media reported that the ferry's first officer said the captain delayed returning to port after the vessel began taking on water.

A court ordered the captain and eight others facing negligent homicide charges to remain in custody for another eight days.

Source note: AFP news report published on 3 September 2026 at 19:36:08 UTC.

Update

Search and rescue teams recovered the body of one of the 20 people listed as missing.

The death toll rose to at least nine.

The number of missing people fell to 19.

TRNC Prime Minister Unal Ustel said the victim was believed to be a man aged about 50 and did not say where the body was found.

Source note: AFP news report published on 2 September 2026 at 18:25:32 UTC.

Update

Two Turkish vessels equipped with deep-diving drones reached the sunken ferry.

A second specialist vessel, the Alemdar, joined the underwater search operation on Wednesday.

TRNC President Tufan Erhurman said survey and search operations were continuing around the clock.

TRNC Prime Minister Unal Ustel said the 20 missing people were believed to be on the ferry, which he said was lying at a depth of 550 metres.

Source note: AFP news report published on 2 September 2026 at 11:08:50 UTC.

Update

A Turkish navy vessel equipped with a deep-diving remotely operated vehicle arrived off Northern Cyprus on Tuesday.

TRNC officials said the wreckage lies at a depth of 514 metres.

TRNC President Tufan Erhurman said a second vessel would join the search and rescue effort on Wednesday.

Source note: AFP news report published on 1 September 2026 at 13:26:34 UTC.

Update

The ferry captain was remanded in custody.

All eight people confirmed dead were Turkish citizens.

Eighteen of the 20 missing people were Turkish citizens and two were from Northern Cyprus.

TRNC officials said divers were trying to retrieve data from the vessel's black box.

Source note: AFP news report published on 31 August 2026 at 15:41:16 UTC.

Update

Officials said 20 people were still missing, up from the earlier figure of 18.

Officials said 239 people had been rescued, down from the earlier figure of 241.

Police detained the captain and 15 others.

Nine people appeared in court in Kyrenia charged with negligent homicide, according to the official TAK news agency.

The captain and crew said the front of the vessel had been smashed open by waves, according to Turkey's Anadolu state news agency.

Divers were trying to retrieve data from the vessel's black box, TRNC president Tufan Erhurman said.

Source note: AFP news report published on 31 August 2026 at 13:45:41 UTC.

Update

Authorities said 241 people had been rescued, eight had died and 18 were missing.

The captain and eight others were placed under formal arrest, according to TAK.

Northern Cyprus began three days of national mourning.

Authorities said there was no immediate word on the nationalities of those on board.

Source note: AFP news report published on 31 August 2026 at 08:19:23 UTC.

Update

The transport minister said the ferry's black box would help determine what caused the sinking.

The transport minister referred to allegations that an object might have hit the vessel.

One rescued passenger alleged that the captain was among the first to abandon ship and did not organise the evacuation.

Northern Cyprus health authorities said hospitals had been alerted for possible medical needs.

Source note: AFP news report published on 30 August 2026 at 20:09:46 UTC.

Update

The death toll rose from at least seven to at least eight.

TAK said 17 people were missing.

Unal Ustel said the captain and seven crew members had been arrested.

Several rescued passengers told local media a blast occurred at the bow before the ferry rolled over.

Some passengers told local media the ferry had too few life vests.

Source note: AFP news report published on 30 August 2026 at 18:18:07 UTC.

Update

Officials said 23 people were missing after the ferry capsized and sank.

Unal Ustel said the ferry was carrying 267 people, at least seven of whom died, and 172 had been rescued.

A rescued passenger told local media that a blast occurred at the bow before the ferry rolled over.

The ferry had left Kyrenia in Northern Cyprus for Tasucu in Turkey.

Turkey's interior ministry said six Turkish navy ships were dispatched.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said efforts to find the missing were continuing.

Source note: AFP news report published on 30 August 2026 at 14:56:19 UTC.

Update

A local official said seven people had died.

Transport minister Erhan Arikli said the ferry had completely sunk to a depth of 514 metres.

Arikli said 161 of the 276 people on board had been taken to hospital and 76 were back with their families.

Source note: AFP news report published on 30 August 2026 at 14:19:21 UTC.

Update

AFP reported, citing an official, that the capsized ferry off Northern Cyprus has completely sunk.

Source note: AFP news report published on 30 August 2026 at 14:08:31 UTC.

Update

Unal Ustel said at least six people had died, in a preliminary toll reported by Anadolu.

Ustel said 172 people had been rescued so far and operations were continuing to evacuate remaining passengers and crew.

Turkey's ambassador to Nicosia confirmed there were deaths but did not give a number.

The cause of the capsize was not immediately known.

Source note: AFP news report published on 30 August 2026 at 12:54:31 UTC.

Update

The ferry capsized shortly after departing Kyrenia for Tasucu in Turkey.

Turkish television images showed the overturned ferry with people wearing life vests on its hull and boats nearby assisting.

The TRNC health ministry said rescue and health services were preparing a swift response and hospitals had been alerted.

Source note: AFP news report published on 30 August 2026 at 12:20:06 UTC.

Update

Unal Ustel said there were fatalities, without giving a precise toll.

Ustel said 267 people were on board the ferry when it capsized.

Ustel said around 100 people had been evacuated by rescuers.

Source note: AFP news report published on 30 August 2026 at 12:09:07 UTC.