Seven dead and 23 remain missing after ferry capsizes off northern Cyprus

The vessel was carrying around 270 people.

Around 270 passengers and crew were on board when the vessel overturned off northern Cyprus, with survivors left clinging to the wreckage in the water.

The privately owned ferry departed Kyrenia port at around 12.30pm local time before it began taking on water shortly afterwards, with authorities yet to establish what caused the incident.

The ferry was bound for Taşucu in Turkey's Mersin province when it overturned just off the coast of Kyrenia.

The catamaran was one of several daily services connecting northern Cyprus with Turkey.

Speaking to CNN Türk, Turkish Cypriot Prime Minister Tufan Erhürman said: "We have reached 237 people alive. However, we have also recovered seven people who lost their lives. We are deeply saddened by this.

"We have still not been able to reach 23 people. Search and rescue teams are working very intensively to find them.

"If there are people still inside the vessel, reaching them does not appear easy at the moment. Efforts are being made using other technologies to reach them as well."

Cyprus was hit by severe storms yesterday, with one person killed after his sailboat was thrown onto rocks in rough seas off the island’s south-east coast.

Asked what may have caused the ferry to capsize, Mr Erhürman pointed to the storm but said conditions had been deemed suitable for travel.

Turkish Cypriot Prime Minister Ünal Üstel revealed a major rescue operation was under way.

"Our sole priority right now is human life. All institutions of our state, our security forces, our health teams and our search and rescue elements are on the ground in full coordination," he told reporters following a crisis management committee meeting.