Ayten Bicer felt her 12-year-old daughter slip from her hands and disappear as a ferry capsized off northern Cyprus on Sunday, killing at least eight people. Her daughter Miray, and 6-year-old son Mehmet Asaf, were among nearly 20 people still missing on Monday as search teams looked for survivors in waters more than 500 metres (1,640 feet) deep. "She was saying, 'Don't let go'.
And I didn't let go of my daughter. I swear, I didn't let her go," Ayten Bicer sobbed. A suitcase fell on top of her, forcing the girl from her grasp.
The mother caught hold of the daughter's foot, but her shoes, coated in engine oil from the overturned vessel, slipped through her hands. The double-hulled ferry with 267 aboard took in water and flipped over on Sunday just off the port city of Kyrenia, leaving survivors clinging to the overturned hull. They were rescued by passing vessels and the coastguard authorities.
Separate accounts said the wide-bodied vessel jolted violently before slamming on to the sea surface with part of its bow bursting open on impact. Severe storms hit Cyprus on Saturday and the seas were still rough on Sunday, when the disaster occurred. Debris remained scattered across the water on Monday, including a black wheelie suitcase bobbing on the surface and a sheet of steel that appeared to have broken away from the ferry.
Outside the port in Kyrenia, some of those waiting sat and silently wept, while others scrolled mobile phones for updates. It was unclear if people remained trapped on the vessel, now lying on the seabed. Footage posted on social media suggested that at the time the ship flipped, there were still people trapped in one compartment of the vessel.
Ayten Bicer's husband, Hayri, said everything happened suddenly. We made a lot of effort but we couldn't save our children. Two of my children are gone.
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