Seven people have died after a passenger boat capsized near northern Cyprus, the Turkish Cypriot PM says
Search and rescue operations are under way to find 23 people missing, says Ünal Üstel, the prime minister of the self-declared territory
He says 267 people were on board the vessel when it capsized, and 237 have been rescued
The Turkish Interior Ministry says the boat began taking on water and "was in danger of sinking at a location 4 nautical miles off Kyrenia Port" - an image shows the boat on its side
Marine Traffic reports the passenger boat left the northern Cypriot port of Kyrenia at 11:58 local time (09:58 BST) on Sunday. It was due to arrive at Tasucu in Turkey at 17:52 local time (15:52 BST).
The company which operates the capsized passenger boat says it is "deeply saddened by the tragic accident".
Filo Denizcilik says after the vessel, named Filo Jet, capsized it mobilised resources to co-ordinate with search and rescue teams.
The company says a hotline has been set up to provide passengers' relatives with information.
Image source, Northern Cyprus authoritiesOfficials in northern Cyprus have met to discuss their response to the boat capsizing off the coast of Kyrenia.
Ünal Üstel, leader of the Turkish-occupied part of northen Cyprus, says "all necessary resources have been mobilised" to carry out rescue efforts.
In a post on Facebook, Üstel says he was briefed about ongoing search and rescue efforts, the status of those missing, the situation on the ground and the status of those meeting.
The "priority right now is human life", Ustal says, adding that security forces, search and rescue teams as well as health officials are all on the ground and in "full coordination".
He says the crisis management team will continue its work and official information will be shared with the public.
As we just reported, the prime minister of the self-declared Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus says in a post on X that seven people have died.
Here's his statement in full:
"We are closely monitoring the process moment by moment through the Crisis Desk we established following the tragic shipwreck that occurred off the coast of Girne.
"Out of the total 267 people on board the ship, 237 have been rescued by our teams. Unfortunately, seven individuals have lost their lives. Our search and rescue operations to locate the 23 missing persons continue without interruption, with all our resources mobilised.
"I offer my condolences from Allah for those who have passed away, and wish patience and strength to their families and loved ones. I pray for a swift recovery for the injured.
"Our utmost priority at this moment is to reach the 23 missing individuals as soon as possible.
"All institutions of our state are on the ground. We are continuing the search and rescue efforts with the utmost care and closely following developments.
"We will continue to share confirmed information with the public."
We've now heard from Ünal Üstel - the prime minister of the self-declared Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus - on X.
He says seven individuals have died.
"Out of the total 267 people on board the ship, 237 have been rescued by our teams. Unfortunately, seven individuals have lost their lives. Our search and rescue operations to locate the 23 missing persons continue without interruption, with all our resources mobilised," he writes.
He says the priority is reaching the 23 missing.
The self-declared Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) is controlled by and only recognised by Turkey.
Passengers stand on capsized Cyprus ferry ahead of rescue
Footage of the incident appears to show dozens of passengers sat on the top of the boat wearing life jackets.
Whistles can be heard in the background of the footage while several smaller vessels can be seen nearby.
Image source, AFP
Image source, AFP
Katy Watson
BBC Correspondent
In all there were 259 passengers on board along with eight crew members - and while many have been rescued, there’s still a considerable search and rescue operation under way.
The Turkish Interior Ministry says it’s sent both boats and helicopters to help find survivors and those who have been rescued are being taken to local hospitals.
Footage from the scene shows the boat on its side with passengers standing on top in life jackets.
Image source, ReutersGeorge Wright
BBC News
The Filo Jet vessel is a high-speed craft that sails under the flag of Turkey, according to Marine Traffic.
The vessel is 40 metres long and 10 metres wide.
Marine Traffic reports it left the northern Cypriot port of Kyrenia at 11:58 on Sunday. It was due to arrive at Tasucu in Turkey at 17:52 local time.
There have been casualties after the ship capsized seven kilometres (4 miles) off the coast of Kyrenia Harbour, Ünal Üstel, the prime minister of the self-declared Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus says.
In a statement at the scene he says: "We are deeply saddened. There has been loss of life and there are injuries.
"We are on the ground with all our resources."
The self-declared Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) is controlled by and only recognised by Turkey.
Mayor of the coastal town of Kyrenia, Murat Senkul, says the situation is "very serious".
In a post on Facebook, he says 270 passengers and crew were aboard when the ship sank off the coast of northern Cyprus.
We've seen an update from Turkey's Interior Ministry which reports 267 people were on board.
Senkul says coastal security is taking part in numerous small boat rescue operations alongside Akgunlerin Express.
Rescued passengers are shown being taken ashore after the boat capsized off Kyrenia, in northern Cyprus.
A helicopter and ambulance are also pictured at the port.
Image source, Reuters
Image source, ReutersThe Turkish Interior Ministry says a passenger ship, carrying 259 passengers and eight crew members, began taking taking on water and "was in danger of sinking at a location 4 nautical miles off Kyrenia Port".
A search and rescue operation initiated, it adds in a statement.
The statement adds: "As part of these operations, four marine vessels belonging to the TRNC Coast Guard Command and the passenger ship AKGÜNLER 3 were deployed to the scene, while the Coast Guard Command dispatched an additional five marine vessels and two Coast Guard helicopters to the area.
"Furthermore, six naval vessels were assigned by the Naval Forces Command to support the operations being conducted in the region.
"Search and rescue efforts are being carried out meticulously and in co-ordination among the relevant units."
A passenger boat with some 270 people on board has capsized off northern Cyprus, with a search and rescue under way, local media report.
Murat Senkul, the mayor of the coastal town of Kyrenia, told broadcaster CNN Turk that 159 of those aboard had been reached.
"The situation is very serious," he said.
