The prime minister of the self-declared Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, Ünal Üstel, has posted an update on X about the “tragic shipwreck”. He said 237 out of the 267 people on board the ship have been rescued – but seven people have died.

Üstel said search and rescue operations are under way to locate the 23 missing people, which he describes as the “utmost priority”.

“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,” he added in the post.

“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.”

In a post to Facebook, the mayor of the coastal town of Kyrenia, Murat Senkul, described the situation as “very serious” and confirmed that 270 passengers and crew were aboard when the ship sank off the coast of Diana beach. He said the ferry belonged to the Filo Denizcilik company.

“The Coast Guard, the *Akgünler Express* vessel, and numerous small boats are participating in rescue operations,” he wrote in the social media post.

“Please refrain from sharing information that could cause confusion or spread misinformation.”

At least seven people have died after a ferry carrying nearly 270 passengers and crew capsized off the coast of Turkish-occupied northern Cyprus, local media reported.

An estimated 237 people have been rescued, Northern Cyprus prime minister, Unal Ustel, told the TRT news channel, adding that the ferry had faced adverse weather conditions and began taking in water just 15 minutes after departure.

Local media report that an intensive search and rescue effort was launched after the boat capsized off the coastal town of Kyrenia earlier today. More details soon …