Cyprus ferry survivor recounts panic and chaos as vessel sank

A survivor of the ferry that capsized off the coast of northern Cyprus has described the terrifying final moments aboard the vessel, as rescue teams continued to search for 18 people still missing. The disaster, which occurred on Sunday afternoon shortly after the ship left Kyrenia for Tasucu in Turkey, has claimed eight lives.

Serkan Kunduraci, a passenger who escaped by pulling himself through a broken window, said he witnessed people drowning in the sea roughly 7.5 kilometres from the Cypriot coast. "I've seen people die in the sea who don't know how to swim," he said. "Some, in their panic, didn't grab life jackets and jumped in out of fear."

Kunduraci described hearing several loud noises from below decks before the ship began to list and take on water. He said the crew initially assured passengers there was no problem, but the situation quickly deteriorated. "The captain came and told us to evacuate the ship's saloon," he recalled. "People panicked when we tried to evacuate, and there wasn't enough time."

As the captain attempted to turn the ship back towards Kyrenia, the vessel began to tilt sharply. Kunduraci said many passengers were trapped in the rear of the ship, unable to escape. "There were so many screams, so many people in the back, but they were all stuck in the back, they couldn't get out," he said. "Those who were underneath were unlucky, they were stuck there, I saw it. Some of them drowned."

Images from the scene showed passengers in orange life vests standing on the upturned hull of the ferry, waiting to be rescued by small boats. Unal Ustel, the prime minister of northern Cyprus, said an investigation has been launched and the ferry's eight crew members have been taken into custody. He described the incident as the worst maritime disaster in Cypriot history and vowed that any negligence would be uncovered. The Turkish Coast Guard and military are assisting with rescue operations.