A mother watched her 12-year-old daughter slip from her hands as a passenger ferry capsized off the coast of northern Cy...

A mother watched her 12-year-old daughter slip from her hands as a passenger ferry capsized off the coast of northern Cyprus on Sunday, killing at least eight people and leaving 20 others missing. Ayten Bicer had been clinging to her daughter Miray when a suitcase knocked the girl from her grip. The boat's hull was coated in engine oil, and no matter how hard she grabbed, she couldn't hold on. "She was saying, 'Don't let go,'" Bicer told reporters through tears. "It was slippery everywhere. It was like oil. She slipped out of my hand." Miray, 12, and her six-year-old brother Memhet Asaf are both among the missing. Their father, Hayri Bicer, who also survived, told reporters the family had been on holiday on the island when the disaster struck. "Two of my three children are gone," he said. "We are leaving them on this island as we go." The Filo Jet vessel had been carrying 259 passengers and 8 crew members when it departed Kyrenia around 12:30 local time, bound for Tasucu on Turkey's southern coast. Its original Saturday departure had already been delayed by severe storms, and seas were still rough when it set off Sunday. Eyewitnesses say the double-hulled ferry jolted violently before slamming down hard on the water, with part of its bow bursting open on impact. The TRNC's prime minister, Ünal Üstel, said the boat was struck by two consecutive waves. While the captain was attempting to recover from the first, the second wave hit and the vessel began taking on water. The ferry has since sunk completely and is now lying at a depth of 514 meters. All eight crew members, including the captain, were formally arrested Monday and will be held for three days while authorities investigate. A rescue ship from Turkey is expected to arrive Tuesday to assist search efforts. Nineteen survivors are currently being treated in hospitals in northern Cyprus. Authorities are working to recover the vessel's black box recorder. A three-day national mourning period began Monday across the TRNC. #Cyprus #FerryDisaster #NorthernCyprus