The number of confirmed victims from the capsized ferry “Filo Jet“ off Northern Cyprus has reached 10 people, and 18 passengers remain missing, according to the latest data from the rescue services as of the early hours of September 4.
The underwater search operation continues around the clock with the help of specialized deep-sea equipment, as it is assumed that the missing people are trapped in the hull of the sunken vessel at a depth of 550 meters.
The shipwreck in numbers
The disaster occurred on August 30, when the catamaran ferry departed from the Cypriot port of Girne (Kyrenia) for the Turkish city of Taşucu. There were a total of 267 people on board.
Scandalous revelations and arrests
In parallel with the search operation, the investigation into the incident took on enormous proportions. The authorities detained the ship's captain and eight other crew members and the management of the operator company. In court, the captain made full admissions that he had illegally purchased his captain's license from a foreign citizen for the sum of $3,500. According to expert reports, the tragedy could have been completely avoided if the speed had been reduced in time after the first signals of water entering the bow.
As a result of public discontent, the Prime Minister of Northern Cyprus, Ünal Üstel, dismissed the Minister of Transport, Erhan Arikli, and the port officials who allowed the departure in bad weather conditions were temporarily suspended.
How is the rescue operation being carried out?
Due to the extremely great depth of over 500 meters, standard diving teams cannot reach the wreckage. The operation uses the Turkish specialized warships TCG Işın and TCG Alemdar, equipped with robotic underwater vehicles (ROVs) and deep-sea drones with robotic arms.