Captain and crew arrested after at least eight people die in ferry disaster

Eight people have died and 18 are still missing after a ferry carrying more than 250 people capsized in northern Cyprus.

The Filo Jet vessel was carrying 259 ​passengers and eight crew members when it capsized and sank.

Officials have said 249 people have been rescued alive, but tragically at least eight have died and 18 are still missing.

The captain and several crew members have been detained by authorities.

Prime Minister of Northern Cyprus Ünal Üstel said the arrests formed part of an investigation ‘to determine how this tragedy occurred’.

"Every aspect of this incident will be investigated," he wrote in a post on Facebook.

"Even the slightest negligence will be uncovered. No one will be spared, regardless of who is found to be at fault or responsible.

At least eight people have died in the disaster (DHA via AP)

"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."

The ferry had set off from the port of Kyrenia, also known as Girne, at 11.58am, and was headed to the Turkish port of Tasucu, in Mersin, where it was due to arrive at 5.52pm.

However, Üstel said the ferry faced adverse weather conditions and began taking in water just 15 minutes after departure.

A call for help was issued shortly after, he said.

Kyrenia mayor Murat Senkul said the ship belonged to the Filo Denizcilik ferry company and sank off the coast of Diana beach on Cyprus’ northern coast.

The ferry started taking in water about four nautical miles off the coast, TRT reported.

Video footage from the scene shows people with life-vests floating in the waters around the capsized vessel.

Suvivor Efe Multici told CNN Turk: “The ⁠vessel had been moving very badly.

"It was constantly lifting out of the water and slamming back down. It was shaking violently."

He said that a few moments later the ferry ‘leapt high into the air, then came crashing down’.

"The front left side burst open and water started pouring in," he added.

The ferry’s captain and seven crew members have been arrested (Ali Ruhluel/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Search efforts have continued into the night, with specialist divers expected to join as the vessel has now sunk to 514 metres.

President of Northern Cyprus Tufan Erhurman said: “If there are people still inside the vessel, reaching them does not appear easy at the moment.

“Efforts are being made using other technologies to reach them as well.”

Four of the eight bodies that were discovered have been identified, according to Erhurman.

The rescue operations would continue ‘uninterrupted throughout the night and from tomorrow morning onwards’, he added.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan offered his condolences and said his government was co-ordinating with Northern Cyprus in the search and rescue effort.

“We hope we’ll be receiving positive news,” Mr Erdogan said on Sunday in Ankara while speaking at the graduation ceremony of the Turkish Military Academy.

Constantinos Letymbiotis, spokesman for Cyprus’ internationally recognised government, said in a post on X on Sunday that the government had expressed its readiness to assist in search and rescue efforts with all available means.

Letymbiotis said: “In these trying times, our thoughts are with those who lost their lives, those who were injured and all those who are living this tragedy.

“At such times, the protection of human life is paramount.”