Ferry carrying 270 people capsizes off North Cyprus coast; At least one dead

An emergency multi-agency rescue operation is underway off the coast of Northern Cyprus after a passenger ferry carrying roughly 270 people capsized shortly after departure.

The privately owned, catamaran-style passenger ferry departed from the North Cyprus port city of Kyrenia (Girne) at approximately 12:30 PM, heading toward the Turkish port of Taşucu in Mersin province.

Turkish Cypriot Transport Minister Erhan Arıklı told Anadolu that one passenger had died in the incident. 

He said there were 267 people on board, including 259 passengers and eight crew members.

As reported by SKY News, the vessel began taking on water shortly after leaving port for reasons that remain unclear, eventually overturning about four nautical miles (roughly 7.5 kilometers) offshore.

Coast guard vessels, rescue helicopters, and civilian boats rushed to the scene after distress alerts were issued. 

Video footage showed passengers wearing red life jackets stranded on top of the overturned hull or floating in the water before being rescued.

Scores of survivors have been brought back to Kyrenia port and transferred to local hospitals for medical treatment. 

Authorities continue to assess the situation as search-and-rescue operations remain underway.

The cause of the sudden flooding and capsizing remains under investigation by maritime and transport authorities.