A ferry carrying 267 passengers and crew capsized off the northern coast of Cyprus, leaving at least eight people dead and 20 others missing. The vessel was traveling from Kyrenia in northern Cyprus to the Turkish port of Tasucu when it began taking on water shortly after leaving port on Sunday.
Survivors were rescued from the water and from the overturned ferry as nearby vessels and coast guard crews responded. Among those still missing are siblings Miray Bicer, 12, and Mehmet Asaf Bicer, 6, who were visiting Cyprus with their family.
Their mother, Ayten Bicer, described the struggle to hold onto her daughter as the vessel overturned. "She was saying, 'Don't let go,'" Bicer said. "And I didn't let go of my daughter. I swear, I didn't let her go." A suitcase fell on Bicer during the chaos, causing her to lose her grip on the girl.
The search efforts have been complicated by the location of the wreckage, which lies in water more than 1,600 feet deep. Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhurman said a ship from Turkey equipped to assist with work on the seabed was expected to arrive on Tuesday. Nine people connected to the ferry's operations have been detained as part of an investigation into the cause of the sinking.
The internationally recognized government of Cyprus has offered to provide assistance with the search-and-rescue operation. Authorities are investigating what may have caused the vessel to sink, and officials are trying to determine whether anyone is trapped inside the sunken ferry.
NTC Report coverage is based on reporting from the original publisher.
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