At least eight people have died after a passenger ferry overturned and sank over the weekend, leaving families devastated and dozens of people still unaccounted for.
The vessel was carrying 259 passengers and eight crew members when the tragedy occurred. Authorities believe 18 people remain missing, including 12-year-old Miray and six-year-old Mehmet, two young siblings who were swept into the water after the ferry capsized.
Their parents, Ayten and Hayri Bicer, faced an unimaginable ordeal as they tried desperately to save their children. In the chaos, the couple eventually had to return to shore with their surviving son while Miray and Mehmet remained missing.
Ayten recalled the heartbreaking moments when she tried to hold onto Miray as the ferry went down. She said her daughter desperately pleaded with her not to let go.
The mother fought to keep her daughter in her grasp, but the conditions around them made it almost impossible.
A suitcase reportedly struck Miray, causing her to fall from her mother’s arms. Ayten then tried to hold onto her daughter’s foot, but the water and fuel covering the area made everything extremely slippery.
“It was slipping like oil,” Ayten recalled. “There was diesel, our feet were slippery. It was slippery everywhere… she slipped out of my hand.”
The devastating experience left the family completely shattered.
“We couldn’t intervene. We lost our children,” Hayri said. “We made a lot of effort but we couldn’t save our children. Two of my children are gone. One of my sons is alive. We left them. We are leaving them on this island as we go.”
“It Was Shaking Violently”
The ferry disaster has triggered an investigation into what caused the vessel to overturn.
On Monday, August 31, all eight crew members, including the captain, as well as another man, were formally arrested as authorities began investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident.
Northern Cyprus Prime Minister Ünal Üstel said the investigation would examine every aspect of the tragedy and determine whether negligence played a role.
“Every aspect of this incident will be investigated,” Üstel said in a statement. He added that even the smallest possible negligence would be examined and that those found responsible would be held accountable.
Meanwhile, search-and-rescue teams have continued extensive operations in an effort to locate the passengers who remain missing.
With the ferry now resting on the seabed, authorities also face questions about whether anyone could still be trapped inside the vessel. As the hours pass, however, hopes of finding additional survivors are becoming increasingly difficult.
At least eight people have already been confirmed dead.
Survivor Describes Terrifying Moments Before the Ferry Sank
One survivor has since spoken about the frightening conditions aboard the ferry in the moments before it went down.
Efe Multici told CNN Turk that the vessel appeared to be struggling badly in the rough water. According to his account, the ferry repeatedly lifted out of the water before crashing back down.
“The vessel had been moving very badly. It was constantly lifting out of the water and slamming back down. It was shaking violently,” he said.
The situation reportedly became even more alarming shortly afterward when the ferry suddenly rose before crashing down again.
“The front left side burst open and water started pouring in,” Multici recalled.
Reports have also suggested that the ferry departed despite extremely stormy weather conditions.
Some passengers reportedly asked members of the crew to turn the vessel around as conditions deteriorated, but their requests were allegedly refused.
The investigation is now expected to focus on the ferry’s condition, the decisions made by the crew, the weather conditions at the time of departure, and what happened during the vessel’s final moments.
For the families waiting for news of their loved ones, the search continues under heartbreaking circumstances. Ayten and Hayri Bicer are among those left facing the unimaginable pain of knowing that, despite their desperate efforts, they could not bring their two young children back to safety.