A passenger ferry capsized and sank off Northern Cyprus on Sunday, killing at least eight people and leaving more than a dozen missing, according to officials and media reports. The vessel was carrying 267 people, of whom 161 were rescued and taken to hospital and 76 have returned home, authorities said.

The ferry capsized about 6.5 kilometers (four miles) off the coast, shortly after leaving a Northern Cyprus port bound for Turkey's mainland. Turkish television images showed the overturned vessel in the water, with people wearing life vests standing on its orange hull.

Police took the captain and seven crew members into custody. Several rescued passengers told local media that a blast had occurred at the bow of the ferry before it rolled over, and that the boat had an insufficient supply of life vests. One passenger, Efe Multici, told CNN Turk that some people had to jump without lifebuoys or life jackets.

Authorities have not yet confirmed the cause of the capsizing. An investigation is ongoing.