Boat carrying nearly 270 people capsizes off northern Cyprus | BBC News

Start with some breaking news. A passenger ferry has carrying more than 250 people has capsized off the northern coast of Cyprus. What we know so far is that the catamaran overturned around 2 km from the Kyrenia Harbor.

The town's mayor has said that more than half of those on board had been rescued and helicopters and coast guard boats have been dispatched to the scene while ambulances have been stationed on the beach. So that's some of the information that we've got so

far. We've got more of it coming in all the time at the moment. You're watching images that we've been sent from the shore. So this is a passenger ferry as we say 250

passengers on board. One local official has said around 100 passengers have been evacuated and taken to shore. He added that the the vessel had been taking on water and that's when the rescue went underway.

So the the boat had actually just left the port. It had left the northern Cyprus port of Kyrenia and it was heading for the Turkish port of Tasucu. So what we can see the images that we've the latest images that we've got in which looks to be

some of the people who have been rescued. 100 or so rescued so far. So this is the the area where it was. This is Cyprus. It's the the north of Cyprus where this has happened.

An area called Kyrenia. The port called Kyrenia and that's where it had just left at the time. Some images have been broadcast on a Turkish television showing a ferry upside down on the water with people wearing

life vests on top of the hull. As you can see from the images we were just looking at there it has been a sunny day and there were several boats in the area helping out with rescue operation.

So this is all we have at the moment really. The local people have been speaking to local media and to on some of the wires we're getting in saying quoting local people saying that all necessary preparations were made for a swift response for the rescue and health services.

And then I said there were ambulances being taken to the shore and as you can see helicopters arriving on the scene as well. This is the the coast guard boats as well dispatched to the scene and ambulances stationed on the boat on

the beach. So you can see many people gathering on the shore now cuz this happened only shortly after the boat had left the port. So 250 people on board when this boat capsized off

the northern coast of Cyprus. So some local people being quoted as saying that 100 passengers have been evacuated and taken to shore, but obviously 250 on board at the time that this happened. We'll keep an eye on any of the latest developments

from that bringing you them as and when we get