Northern Cyprus declares three days of national mourning after passenger ship sinks

Northern Cyprus declared three days of national mourning after a passenger ship sank off the coast of Kyrenia. The mourning period will run from Aug. 31 until sunset on Sept. 2.

Authorities said 249 of the 267 people aboard had been located. Eight people died, 241 survived and rescuers continued searching for 18 missing passengers.

The search operation includes three aircraft, four unmanned aerial vehicles, six helicopters, four Turkish Coast Guard boats, a fast attack craft, a frigate and a patrol vessel from Turkey. Northern Cyprus deployed Coast Guard boats, helicopters, a fast attack craft, a patrol vessel, civil defense units and police.

Searches will continue without interruption overnight. Four vessels equipped with night-vision technology and two helicopters will operate in the area, while Turkish drones will support the effort around the clock.