A ferry accident off northern Cyprus on Sunday turned deadly, claiming the lives of eight people and leaving 18 missing, including the young children of Ayten and Hayri Bicer. The vessel, en route from Kyrenia to Turkey, capsized amid rough seas.
Among those missing are the Bicers' 12-year-old daughter, Miray, and six-year-old son, Memhet Asaf. Ayten Bicer shared the heart-wrenching moment she lost her grip on her daughter after a suitcase fell on them. "She was saying, 'Don't let go'. And I didn't let go of my daughter. I swear, I didn't let her go, " Bicer recalled, struggling with emotion. Her daughter's oil-slicked shoes made it impossible to hold on.
The family was heading back to Turkey after a vacation on the Mediterranean island. "We couldn't intervene, we lost our children, " Hayri Bicer said in despair. "Two of my three children are gone. We left them. We are leaving them on this island as we go."
The ferry was carrying 259 passengers and eight crew members. Local officials report 19 passengers are currently in hospitals in northern Cyprus. After the accident, the eight crew members, including the captain, were arrested and will be held for three days. Authorities have also issued warrants for several others as the investigation proceeds.
The privately owned ferry, a high-speed Filo Jet vessel measuring 40 meters long and 10 meters wide, departed from Kyrenia around 12:30 (09:30 GMT). Its journey was delayed from Saturday due to severe storms, and turbulent seas persisted on Sunday. Witnesses described the ferry as jolting violently before crashing onto the sea surface, causing part of its bow to burst open.
Ünal Üstel, Prime Minister of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), said the vessel was hit by two waves. The captain was trying to recover from the first when a second wave struck, causing the ferry to take on water. The boat has since sunk completely and lies at a depth of 514 meters (1,686 feet).
Debris from the ferry, including a black wheelie suitcase and a sheet of steel, is scattered across the water. Efforts are underway to retrieve the vessel's black box recorder to uncover the accident's exact cause. A ship from Turkey is expected to arrive on Tuesday to aid in the search and recovery operations, according to TRNC President Tufan Erhurman.
Following the disaster, a three-day period of national mourning began on Monday. The ferry company, operating under the Turkish flag, expressed deep sorrow over the tragic event. The TRNC, recognized only by Turkey, governs the northern third of the island of Cyprus, which has been divided since 1974.
