Seven killed and 23 missing in boat capsizing off northern Cyprus

What happened

Seven killed and 23 missing in boat capsizing off northern Cyprus. Passengers stand on capsized Cyprus ferry ahead of rescue At least seven people have died and 23 others are still missing after a passenger boat capsized off northern Cyprus, the head of the Turkish administration there has said.

What we know

Ünal Üstel, prime minister of the self-proclaimed Turkish republic there, said the ferry had been carrying 259 passengers and eight crew members when it began taking on water after departing the coastal town of Kyrenia. The ship's captain and seven crew members have been detained as part of an investigation into "how this tragedy occurred", Üstel wrote. A search and rescue operation to find the passengers still unaccounted for is under way, which Turkish authorities have joined. Turkish media is reporting the death toll has risen to eight. The privately owned ferry left the left the popular holiday resort of Kyrenia at 12:30 local time (09:30 GMT), local media reported. Üstel said the boat had been scheduled to travel to Turkey on Saturday, but had been delayed due to poor weather conditions. He told Turkish media outlet TRT that the boat was hit by two waves before it capsized. While the captain of the vessel was trying to recover from the first wave, a second wave hit and it began taking on water, he told the outlet. Üstel wrote that the "priority right now is human life", adding that security forces, rescue teams and health officials were all on the scene. He added the disaster will be thoroughly investigated and "even the slightest negligence will be uncovered".

Originally reported by BBC News.

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Timeline

• 19:12 — Source update: Seven killed and 23 missing in boat capsizing off northern Cyprus To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. This video can not be played Figure caption, Passengers stand on cap
• 19:40 — Source update: Eight killed and others missing after ferry capsizes off northern Cyprus To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. This video can not be played Figure caption, Passengers stand