"She was saying, ‘Don’t let go.’ And I didn’t let go of my daughter. I swear, I didn’t let her go," recalled Ayten Bicer, a mother whose 12‑year‑old daughter slipped from her grasp as the high‑speed ferry heaved toward the sea off Kyrenia. The 6‑year‑old son, Memhet Asaf, was also lost to the waves, leaving the Bicer family among the 20 people still missing.
The vessel, a 40‑metre, 10‑metre Filo Jet, departed Kyrenia around 12:30 local time, heading for Tasucu in Turkey. The capsized journey was delayed last weekend by a severe storm, and rough seas were still rolling on Sunday when the ferry struck two large waves, according to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) Prime Minister Ünal Üstel. The ship’s bow burst open on impact and water poured in, making the loss reluctant.
The tragedy has claimed eight lives, and 19 passengers are now in hospital care in northern Cyprus. Eight crew members—including the captain—were formally arrested and will be detained for three days as authorities issue warrants for additional suspects.
Authorities are pulling the wreck at a depth of 514 metres (1,686 feet) from the surface, with a black‑box recorder believed to hold the ferry’s final moments. A ship from Turkey is scheduled to arrive on Tuesday to aid the search and rescue.
The incident has placed the TRNC in a three‑day national mourning, as families and communities clutch hope for survivors. The ferry’s wreckage—black suitcases, broken steel—has been found scattered across the sea, a harrowing reminder of what the storm delivered to the narrow eastern Mediterranean.
