Search continues for 18 missing after ferry capsizes near Cyprus

A major search and rescue operation is underway in waters off Northern Cyprus after a passenger ferry capsized, leaving 18 people missing. Rescue teams have deployed boats and aircraft to comb the surrounding maritime area in efforts to locate those still unaccounted for following the incident.

Authorities have taken the vessel's captain and crew members into custody as part of the investigation. The maritime workers were brought before a judge and formally arrested pending further legal proceedings related to the circumstances of the capsizing.

The incident marks a serious maritime accident in the eastern Mediterranean region. Initial response efforts have focused on locating survivors and securing the scene, while investigators work to determine the cause of the vessel's capsize and whether any safety protocols were breached.

Details regarding the exact number of people aboard the ferry at the time of the incident, as well as the number of survivors rescued so far, were not immediately confirmed. Authorities have not released further information about the vessel's route or the timeline of events leading to the capsizing.