At least eight people died and 18 others remain missing after a passenger ferry capsized off the coast of Northern Cyprus, according to Al Jazeera. The privately owned FILOJET vessel, a high-speed catamaran measuring 40 meters long and 10 meters wide and sailing under the Turkish flag, was carrying 267 people—comprising 259 passengers and an eight-member crew—when disaster struck on Sunday, August 30, as reported by Yahoo.
Ferry Capsizes Off Northern Cyprus Leaving Eight Dead and 18 Missing
The ferry departed from the northern port of Kyrenia, also known as Girne, at approximately 12:30 p.m. local time (09:30 GMT), heading for the Turkish port of Taşucu in Mersin province, according to staradvertiser.com. The journey had been delayed from Saturday due to poor weather conditions, according to arise.tv.
Rescue Operations and Ongoing Search Efforts
Out of the 267 people on board, 241 individuals have been rescued, while eight died and 18 are listed as missing, according to Al Jazeera. Nineteen people are receiving treatment at hospitals in Northern Cyprus. A major multi-agency rescue operation was launched, deploying four Turkish Cypriot coast guard vessels, a civilian passenger boat, five Turkish coast guard vessels, two helicopters, and aircraft, with divers from Turkey assisting the operations, as noted by staradvertiser.com and brandsynario.com. Local rescuers, including Muhammed Ozcelik and Mustafa Koc, also rushed to the scene with water sports and private boats to pull survivors from the water.
By late afternoon on Sunday, the vessel had completely sunk, settling on the seabed at a depth of 514 meters (1,686 feet), according to Yahoo and staradvertiser.com. Authorities are attempting to recover the vessel’s black box data recorder to establish the exact cause of the incident.
Survivor Accounts and Investigation into the Incident
Survivors reported that the ferry moved erratically before the accident. According to survivor Efe Multici, the boat was lifting out of the water and slamming back down violently before its front left side burst open and water poured in, as detailed by staradvertiser.com. Prime Minister Ünal Üstel stated that the boat was struck by two waves, noting that while the captain was trying to recover from the first wave, a second wave hit and the vessel began taking on water, as reported by Yahoo and arise.tv.
Early on Monday, the ship’s captain, seven crew members, and another man were brought before a judge and placed under formal arrest, while warrants were issued for seven additional individuals, according to Al Jazeera and Yahoo. Prime Minister Üstel promised a thorough inquiry, stating that even the slightest negligence will be uncovered and no one found responsible will be spared.
Official Reactions and National Mourning
Following the tragedy, Prime Minister Ünal Üstel announced a three-day period of national mourning across the self-proclaimed Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), which is recognized only by Turkey, as cited by Al Jazeera and Yahoo. Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhürman and Turkish President Tayyip Erdoğan both expressed deep sorrow over the disaster and extended condolences to the affected families, confirming that search-and-rescue efforts would continue uninterrupted, according to staradvertiser.com and arise.tv. Filo Denizcilik, the operating company, stated that it was deeply saddened by the tragic accident.
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