Ferry carrying 270 passengers capsizes off coast of Cyprus

A ferry carrying around 270 people has capsized off the coast of Northern Cyprus, with nearly 100 passengers left unaccounted for according to local officials. The boat was headed towards the Turkish port of Tasucu when the incident happened about two kilometres north of its departure point, the town of Kyrenia, on Sunday, local media reported. Ünal Üstel, the Prime Minister of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), said the number of people on board was 267 and that 172 people had been rescued while six people had died. Search and rescue operations were ongoing, he added. The self-proclaimed TRNC, which is recognised only by Turkey, controls the northern third of Cyprus, which has been divided since 1974. Earlier on Sunday, Murat Şenkul, Kyrenia’s mayor, ⁠told local broadcaster CNN Turk that 159 ‌of the vessel’s 258 passengers had ‌been rescued and said the total number of people on board, including crewmembers, was 270. Describing the situation as “very serious”, Şenkul said in a Facebook post that rescue efforts were underway and asked the public not to speculate on the incident. There was no information immediately available regarding the status of the crew. This is a breaking news story and will be updated. EXPLORE MORE ON THE TOPICS IN THIS STORY