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- Authorities say 18 people remain missing, though Turkish media reported 23; earlier accounts cited 17 missing.
- Turkey’s Interior Ministry said 267 people were aboard, including 259 passengers and eight crew members.
- Survivors alleged safety failures, saying crew did not distribute life jackets and responded inadequately as the catamaran took on water.
- The wreck lies 514 metres deep, making black box recovery a key priority; the captain and seven others have been detained.
The sinking of “Filo Jet” off the coast of occupied Kyrenia is now the focus of investigations into the circumstances that led to the disaster, as the search for missing passengers continues. Survivors have reported serious shortcomings in safety measures and an inadequate response by the crew, while the captain and seven other people have been detained.
The catamaran lies at a depth of 514 metres, making the recovery of its black box a key priority for investigators.
Conflicting figures over missing passengers
Search and rescue operations are continuing, but reports differ over the exact number of people still missing.
Eighteen people have not yet been located, while Turkish media reports put the number at 23. Earlier reports had referred to 17 missing people.
According to Turkey’s Interior Ministry, a total of 267 people were aboard the vessel, including 259 passengers and eight crew members.
Those rescued have been taken to hospitals. Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhürman said their condition did not appear to be a serious cause for concern.
Survivors report lack of life jackets
Survivors have raised questions over what happened in the minutes after the vessel left Kyrenia.
Ibrahim Kanbolat said passengers alerted the crew after noticing water entering the catamaran, but were allegedly told: “We are used to it, this is normal.”
“Water began entering in large quantities. Eventually, a section on the side broke. I was sitting by the window. The vessel immediately began to tilt. The employee went to the back and then said: ‘Everyone run to the back.’ He did not give anyone a life jacket. Everyone survived by their own efforts,” he said.
Kanbolat was rescued by a private vessel and alleged that crew members failed to distribute life jackets, despite children and people who could not swim being among those aboard.
Passengers describe a fight for survival
Another survivor, Efe Multici, told CNN Türk that some passengers were forced to jump into the sea without life jackets or lifebuoys.
“Some were forced to jump without life rings or life jackets. It was literally a fight for survival,” he said.
According to his account, the vessel began taking on water around 20 to 25 minutes after leaving Kyrenia, at about noon local time.
The departure had already been delayed because of strong winds.
“The lack of life jackets was a huge problem for us,” he said, describing the movement of the vessel as being “like being in a gondola”.
Local boat owner rescues dozens
Firat Gençer, the owner of a water activities business, also described his experience during the rescue operation.
He said that when he saw the catamaran leaving the port in particularly rough seas, he and others had questioned why anyone would travel in such conditions.
Shortly afterwards, he saw orange objects floating in the sea and alerted the Coast Guard. He was initially told that there had been no relevant alert, but five minutes later he was contacted and told that “the vessel is sinking”.
Gençer rushed to the scene and took around 35 to 40 people aboard his boat.
He said he gave priority to young children and babies and estimated that he rescued around 15 to 20 children.
“There was a fight for life in the middle of the sea,” he said, recalling people in the water pleading with him: “Save me.”
Captain and seven others detained
Alongside the search for missing people, the “authorities” in the occupied areas are investigating the circumstances surrounding the sinking.
The captain and seven other people have been detained as part of the investigation.
The Turkish Cypriot administration’s “prime minister”, Ünal Üstel, said the vessel capsized after being hit by two large waves in succession.
According to his account, the captain attempted to recover the catamaran after the first wave, but a second wave followed, causing water to enter the vessel.
Local media have reported a different sequence of events, saying the captain noticed water entering shortly after the vessel departed for Silifke in Mersin and attempted to return to Kyrenia, but was unable to do so.
Wreck lies 514 metres underwater
The wreck has been located at a depth of approximately 514 metres, making the investigation particularly difficult.
A specialised vessel and divers are expected to arrive from Turkey to reinforce the operations.
The recovery of the Filo Jet’s black box is considered particularly important, as its data could provide crucial information about what happened before the sinking.
The catamaran underwent an inspection by Türk Loydu at the Akdeniz shipyard just two months ago.
Company says crisis team activated
Filo Denizcilik Şti. Ltd., the company that owns the catamaran, said it established a crisis management team immediately after the sinking.
The company said it was coordinating with search and rescue teams and had mobilised its available resources.
It also established a dedicated crisis and information hotline for passengers’ relatives, stressing that official updates on the progress of the search would be issued by the competent authorities.
Also read: Deadly severe weather strikes Cyprus-Mavropoulos community in mourning
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