Arabic version: فقدان أطفال بعد انقلاب عبّارة قبالة شمال قبرص

According to BBC News, two children of Ayten and Hayri Bicer are among 20 people missing after a ferry capsized off northern Cyprus while travelling from Kyrenia to Turkey. Eight people were killed when the vessel sank on Sunday.

Ayten Bicer said her 12-year-old daughter, Miray, slipped from her grasp after a suitcase fell on her during the incident. Her six-year-old son, Memhet Asaf, is also missing. The family had been returning to Turkey after a holiday on the Mediterranean island.

The ferry carried 259 passengers and eight crew members. Nineteen passengers are being treated in hospitals in northern Cyprus, local authorities said. Survivors and relatives have remained at Kyrenia port while rescuers continue searching.

The privately owned ferry left Kyrenia at about 12:30 local time for Tasucu, Turkey. Its Saturday journey had been delayed by severe storms, and seas remained rough on Sunday. The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus prime minister, Ünal Üstel, said the vessel was hit by two waves and began taking on water after the second.

Officials said the boat is lying 514m below the surface. Authorities are seeking to recover its black box recorder, while a ship from Turkey is due to assist the search on Tuesday. Eight crew members, including the captain, and another man were arrested on Monday, and national mourning began the same day.