The captain and seven crew members of the ferry that sank off Kyrenia in Northern Cyprus have been arrested on suspicion of negligence. The incident left at least eight people dead and 18 missing. There were 267 people on board. Turkish Cypriot Prime Minister Ünal Ustel called the event “the worst maritime disaster Cyprus has ever experienced,” saying that every aspect will be investigated and that even the smallest negligence will be established.

The ferry had departed Kyrenia’s new port at 12:10 bound for Taşucu but capsized shortly after leaving port and sank to a depth of 514 metres, Transport Minister Erhan Arıklı reported. Rescue operations involve two fixed-wing aircraft, four helicopters, four drones and four coast guard vessels. A Turkish Navy vessel specialized in deep searches, capable of operating down to 1,000 metres, is expected in the evening to extend the seabed search.

Sky News, citing local sources, reports that most passengers on board were Turkish nationals. The route normally takes Turkish citizens back to their country a couple of times a day, the Cyprus Mail notes. The same source indicates that most of the patients treated at the nearest hospital are Turkish or Turkish Cypriot. The Italian Foreign Ministry (Farnesina) says checks are ongoing to determine whether any Italian citizens were on board.

The departure had already been postponed yesterday because of bad weather

The ferry sank shortly after leaving port. According to Turkish Cypriot Prime Minister Ünal Ustel, the voyage had been postponed the day before due to bad weather; in open sea the vessel was struck by two consecutive waves and began taking on water. The captain issued a distress call and the coast guard sent rescue teams. Turkish Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz said authorities are closely monitoring the operations and providing full support for search and rescue efforts.