Mother Recounts Heartbreaking Moment Daughter Slipped From Her Hands in Cyprus Ferry Disaster

A mother has described the heartbreaking moment her 12-year-old daughter slipped from her grasp after a ferry capsized off northern Cyprus, leaving at least eight people dead and 20 others missing.

Ayten Bicer said she desperately tried to hold on to her daughter, Miray, as the passenger ferry overturned on Sunday shortly after leaving the port city of Kyrenia for Tasucu in southern Türkiye.

“She was saying, ‘Don’t let go,’” Bicer said through tears, insisting that she never intentionally released her daughter.

According to the mother, a suitcase fell onto her during the chaos, forcing her to lose her grip. She managed to catch her daughter’s foot, but the girl’s shoes had become covered in engine oil, causing her to slip away.

Bicer’s six-year-old son, Mehmet Asaf, was also among those still missing. The two children were travelling with their family for a holiday in Cyprus.

The double-hulled ferry was carrying 267 people when it encountered trouble and capsized in rough seas. Survivors were forced to cling to the overturned vessel until they were rescued by passing ships and coastguard authorities.

Witnesses said the ferry lurched violently before hitting the water, with part of its bow apparently bursting open during the incident.

Authorities later revised the number of missing people from 18 to 20 after checking passenger records against the names of survivors.

The ferry eventually sank in waters more than 500 metres deep, making the search operation particularly difficult. Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhurman said a vessel from Türkiye was expected to arrive on Tuesday to assist with the search.

Officials said efforts to intervene on the seabed would become possible with additional resources, although it remained unclear whether anyone was still trapped inside the sunken ferry.

Nine people linked to the operation of the vessel were detained for three days by a court on Monday as part of the police investigation. Authorities said the ferry had a valid seaworthiness certificate.

Outside Kyrenia port, relatives of the missing passengers gathered anxiously, waiting for updates. Some cried silently while others repeatedly checked their phones for information.

Bicer’s husband, Hayri, said the family was devastated by the loss of their children.

“We lost our children. We made a lot of effort but we couldn’t save them,” he said.

Search and rescue operations continued as families waited for news about their missing loved ones.