Nearly 20 people are still missing after a ferry capsized off northern Cyprus.
At least eight people were killed and divers have joined rescue teams to search for any survivors.
The ferry that had 267 passengers on board, capsized on Sunday near the city of Kyrenia. According to The Irish Times, survivors were clinging on the capsized ferry and were rescued by passing vessels and the coastguard authorities.
Many people anxiously waited at the port for news of the passengers, Naif Ezer was among those waiting, he said: “We’ve been waiting since the morning, for 12 hours or maybe more."
Three of Ezer's friends had been travelling home to see their families, and only one has been found.
According to The Guardian, it is currently unclear if the passengers are trapped on the vessel which is now lying on the seabed.
Officials confirmed that divers from Turkey were helping with the search and have estimated that there are 19 people missing.
After leaving Kyrenia for the Turkish port of Taşucu in Mersin province the ferry ran into some trouble.
According to reports, the vessel "jolted violently" before slamming on the sea surface with part of its bow bursting open from the impact.
Survivors have described how the bow of the vessel was damaged while they were at sea. One passenger told CNN Turk: “The vessel had been moving very badly. It was constantly lifting out of the water and slamming back down. It was shaking violently. Three or four minutes later, the ferry leapt high into the air, then came crashing down. The front left side burst open and water started pouring in.”
The Guardian have stated that the captain and crew have been detained by authorities for questioning.
The north's Turkish Cypriot prime minister, Ünal Üstel, has announced an inquiry into the marine disaster which he described as "the worst in Cypriot history."
“Every angle of this incident will be investigated. Even the smallest negligence will be uncovered. There will be no leniency for anyone thought to bear responsibility," he told local media according to The Guardian.
Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhurman said that 237 people were brought to safety and eight deaths have been confirmed.
Footage from the accident has been circulating on social media. Passengers can be seen wearing red life jackets on the top of the overturned ferry.
The cause of the accident has yet to be revealed.
