At least eight people have died, and 18 others remain missing, after a passenger ferry capsized off northern Cyprus on August 30, according to Ünal Üstel, prime minister of the self-proclaimed Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. The privately owned vessel was carrying 259 passengers and eight crew members when it began taking on water shortly after departing the coastal town of Kyrenia at around 12:30 pm local time.
Most of those on board have been rescued, while Turkish and local authorities continue a search-and-rescue operation.
The ferry has since sunk, and authorities are attempting to recover its black box to determine what caused the disaster. The captain and seven crew members have been detained as part of an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the capsizing. Üstel told Turkish media that the vessel was struck by two waves while traveling toward Turkey, with the second wave causing it to take on water.
The ferry’s journey had been delayed from August 29 because of poor weather conditions.
Indeed, from infamous ships like the Titanic to lesser-known but equally important vessels such as the SS Eastland and the MV Wilhelm Gustloff, history has had no shortage of such tragedies. Curious about which ships suffered the greatest number of losses? Click through now to explore.