Terrifying footage captured the moment a packed passenger ferry carrying 267 people rolled over in the Mediterranean off Northern Cyprus, sending terrified travelers scrambling onto the overturned hull and leaping into open water.
The privately operated Filo Jet catamaran had barely left Kyrenia (Girne) port around midday Sunday, bound for Taşucu in southern Turkey, when it began taking on water. Within minutes it was on its side. Passengers in bright orange life jackets packed the red underside of the vessel like sardines as waves slapped against the hull. Others bobbed in the choppy blue water nearby, waiting for rescue boats to pull them aboard.
The videos, filmed from nearby civilian vessels and circulating widely, show chaotic scenes of people being hauled from the sea onto smaller boats while others sit or stand on the upturned keel. Rescue crews can be seen grabbing people by the life vests and dragging them to safety as the stricken ferry lists in the distance. One clip shows the vessel already flipped, its hull crowded with survivors against a backdrop of mountains and clear skies.
Officials said the ferry started taking water about 15 minutes after departure, roughly 2 to 4 nautical miles offshore near Diana Beach. Prime Minister Ünal Üstel of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus said the sailing had been postponed a day because of weather. A first wave hit the vessel; as the captain tried to stabilize it, a second wave caused water to flood in. The captain attempted to turn back toward port but could not. The ship later sank in 514 meters of water.
By Sunday evening, authorities reported eight confirmed dead, 242 people brought ashore, and 17 still missing. Dozens of survivors were rushed to hospitals in Kyrenia and northern Nicosia. Ambulances lined the port as boats returned with the rescued. The captain and seven crew members were taken into custody as an investigation launched. “Every aspect of this incident will be investigated. Even the slightest negligence will be revealed,” Üstel said.
The vessel, operated by Filo Denizcilik, had undergone an inspection two months earlier and was deemed seaworthy, officials insisted. The cause of the rapid flooding remains under investigation; authorities want the black box recovered. Turkish and Turkish Cypriot coast guard vessels, helicopters, naval assets, and civilian boats joined the frantic rescue. Some reports described it as one of the worst maritime disasters in Cyprus’s history.
The popular Kyrenia-to-Turkey shuttle route carries locals and tourists across the eastern Mediterranean daily. Sunday’s crossing turned into a nightmare just miles from shore. Search teams continued looking for the missing as night fell.
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