At least seven people have died, and 23 remain missing after a passenger ferry carrying 267 people overturned off northern Cyprus in a major sea rescue drama.

The FILOJET catamaran was travelling from Kyrenia to the Turkish port of Tasucu when disaster struck shortly after it left harbour on Sunday.

Reuters News Agency is reporting the vessel began taking on water and then capsized several kilometres off the coast, forcing passengers into the sea and leaving survivors clinging to the upturned hull.

GettyImages Cyprus ferry disaster
Turkish vessels, aircraft, and rescue rafts are pictured off the port of Kyrenia in the self-proclaimed Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), recognised only by Turkey, in the north of the divided Mediterranean island of Cyprus on August 30, 2026 during search and rescue operations following a ferry capsizing. At least seven people died when a ferry capsized off Northern Cyprus on August 30, the head of the local government said, in a preliminary toll to Turkish media. The vessel had been carrying a total of 267 people when it rolled over shortly after leaving port, according to Turkish state news agency Anadolu. (Photo by Jewel SAMAD / AFP via Getty Images)

Dramatic footage from the scene showed people wearing red life jackets scrambling onto the overturned boat as rescue crews raced to reach them.

Turkish Cypriot authorities say a total of 237 people have been rescued while efforts continue to locate the 23 people still unaccounted for.

Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhurman confirmed the death toll and described the tragedy as a deeply shocking event.

In a live TV interview, he said, ‘We have reached 237 people alive. However, we have also recovered seven people who lost their lives. We are deeply saddened by this.’

GettyImages Cyprus ferry
People wait for news in the aftermath of a ferry capsizing at the port of Kyrenia in the self-proclaimed Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), recognised only by Turkey, in the north of the divided Mediterranean island of Cyprus on August 30, 2026. At least seven people died when a ferry capsized off Northern Cyprus on August 30, the head of the local government said, in a preliminary toll to Turkish media. The vessel had been carrying a total of 267 people when it rolled over shortly after leaving port, according to Turkish state news agency Anadolu. (Photo by Jewel SAMAD / AFP via Getty Images)

He warned that rescuers face a difficult task as they search both the surrounding waters and the stricken vessel. Relatives of the ferry passengers have gathered at the quayside awaiting news of their loved ones.

‘If there are people still inside the vessel, reaching them does not appear easy at the moment,’ he said, adding that specialist technology was being used as part of the search.

The ferry had departed Kyrenia at around 12.30 pm local time, bound for Tasucu in Turkey’s Mersin province.

The cause of the disaster has not yet been established.

GettyImages Cyprus ferry rafts
First responders gather by docked rescue rafts along a pier at the port of Kyrenia in the self-proclaimed Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), recognised only by Turkey, in the north of the divided Mediterranean island of Cyprus on August 30, 2026 during search and rescue operations following a ferry capsizing. At least six people died when a ferry capsized off Northern Cyprus on August 30, the head of the local government said, in a preliminary toll to Turkish media. The vessel had been carrying a total of 267 people when it rolled over shortly after leaving port, according to Turkish state news agency Anadolu. (Photo by Jewel SAMAD / AFP via Getty Images)

Officials have pointed to difficult weather conditions in the region, with Cyprus having been hit by powerful storms, but it remains unclear exactly what caused the ferry to take on water and overturn.

The incident has sparked a huge emergency response involving vessels and aircraft from both Turkish Cypriot and Turkish authorities.

The disaster has sent shockwaves through the coastal community, where ferry services regularly carry passengers between northern Cyprus and Turkey.