New harrowing details of the tragedy that unfolded off the coast of occupied Kyrenia are coming to light. Scenes of panic, screams, and cries from people trying to reach the surface of the sunken ship and waiting for help.

The tragic toll so far stands at eight dead and 18 missing, while 242 passengers have been rescued. Meanwhile, the occupying authorities have “arrested” the captain and seven crew members.

Minor siblings among the missing

According to reports by Turkish Cypriot media, the missing include young people, families, and children.

Specifically, among the missing are, among others, two minor siblings, aged six and twelve, while their mother and the family’s third child managed to survive the shipwreck.

The mother’s statements are heart-wrenching; she says, among other things, that no one from the crew rescued anyone.

Search efforts to locate the missing are ongoing and continued throughout the night.

READ ALSO: Deadly shipwreck in Kyrenia: The pseudo-state declared three days of mourning; occupying authorities promise that those responsible will pay

“We couldn’t find life jackets; they told us to wait”

Another survivor describes the moments of panic that prevailed inside the ship, claiming that when the passengers realized the ship was facing a serious problem, they tried to make their way toward the exits.

As reported by the Turkish newspaper Sabah, a stampede ensued, and the passengers were unable to find life jackets. According to the same account, crew members closed the door and asked the passengers to wait, telling them they would be evacuated from the ship.

“They closed the door on us and told us, ‘Wait, we’ll get you out,’ but we couldn’t get out. We couldn’t even push the door open,” the survivor reportedly said.

READ ALSO: “Turn back!”: The screams and panic inside the doomed vessel as it began taking on water | AlphaNews

In the ferry accident on the Girne–Taşucu route carrying 267 people:

—241 people were rescued—8
people lost their lives—
18 people are missing.

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Warnings of “𝐬𝐮 𝐚𝐥𝛊𝐲𝐨𝐫𝐮𝐳” were ignored by the passengers.

Get well soon, Little Homeland
. Get well soon, my Turkey. pic.twitter.com/UGNZYQnj7K

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— Togay (@T_o_g_a_y_) August 30, 2026

#BREAKING SHIPWRECK IN
THE TRNC!

A passenger ship carrying 279 people sank off the coast of Kyrenia!

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A catamaran-type passenger ship sailing off the coast of Girne in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus took on water and sank for reasons yet to be determined.

Coast Guard teams have been dispatched to the area… pic.twitter.com/je5FmYCAuX

— Basın Gündemi (@Newsdiary0) August 30, 2026

The captain was not on the crew list

As reported by journalist Hatice Kerlo on the Alpha Kalimera program, there are several claims regarding the shipwreck.

The first claims that the ship in question was defective and should not have been operating at all, as water was entering the passenger compartment, a fact that appears to be confirmed by footage released in the first minutes after the shipwreck.

A second allegation states that the captain did not have a license and was sailing under a colleague’s license.

READ ALSO: Republic of Cyprus stands ready to assist immediately in the search and rescue operation off the coast of Kyrenia | AlphaNews

In fact, he reportedly was not on the crew list but on the passenger list. Meanwhile, according to survivors, the captain and the crew were the first to abandon the ship.

At the same time, it appears that passengers had requested from the very moment water began “flooding” the ship that the voyage not continue, a request that was ignored.