Search continues for 18 passengers after ferry capsized in northern Cyprus

What the report says

Rescue teams are continuing to search for 18 missing passengers after a ferry capsized off the coast of northern Cyprus on Sunday, according to BBC World News. The vessel had 259 passengers and eight crew members on board when it began taking on water shortly after leaving Kyrenia, a port city in the self-proclaimed Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, on its way to Tasucu in Turkey.

Local authorities say eight people have been confirmed dead and 19 others are being treated in hospitals in northern Cyprus. The ship’s captain, seven crew members and one other man were arrested on Monday, and warrants have reportedly been issued for seven more people. Officials are also trying to recover the ferry’s black box recorder to help determine what caused the disaster.

BBC World News reported that the ferry had been due to sail a day earlier but the trip was delayed by poor weather. Northern Cyprus Prime Minister Ünal Üstel declared three days of national mourning. The vessel has now sunk to a depth of 514 metres, with debris still visible on the water. The incident has drawn attention to safety questions surrounding the privately operated passenger service and left families gathered at the port waiting for news of relatives.