Northern Cyprus ferry: Couple's children missing after vessel capsizes
A ferry traveling from Northern Cyprus to Turkey capsized, resulting in eight confirmed deaths and 20 people still missing. Rescue operations are ongoing, and authorities have arrested the ship's captain and crew members as part of an investigation.
Why it matters
This maritime tragedy highlights significant safety concerns regarding regional ferry transport and the human cost of infrastructure failures.
Image source, Reuters Image caption, Ayten Bicer and Hayri Bicer's two children are missing
Ayten Bicer felt her 12-year-old daughter slip from her grasp and disappear as the ferry they were travelling on capsized off the coast of northern Cyprus on Sunday, killing eight people.
Her daughter Miray and six-year-old son Memhet Asaf are among 20 people still missing after the vessel sunk while en route to Turkey from the coastal town of Kyrenia, in the self-proclaimed Turkish republic on Cyprus.
She and her husband Hayri survived, and like many other families are waiting for news of their loved ones back in port as rescuers continue to search.
"She was saying, 'Don't let go'. And I didn't let go of my daughter. I swear, I didn't let her go," Bicer told reporters through tears.
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