Possible Kyrenia ferry wreck located at 550 meters

KYRENIA

A Turkish Navy vessel has detected an object believed to be the wreckage of the Filo Jet passenger ferry at a depth of about 550 meters off Kyrenia, as efforts continue to find 20 people still missing from the disaster.

The TCG Işın located the object after beginning robotic scans of the seabed on Sept. 1, Turkish Cypriot President Tufan Erhürman said.

“An object believed to be the sunken vessel has been located. It was detected at 550 meters,” Erhürman said, stressing that its identity had yet to be confirmed.

The ship’s commander, Ulaş Cesur, said teams would first establish the object’s exact position and identity before using a remotely operated underwater vehicle to examine it in detail.

The vehicle can transmit images from the seabed and recover objects with robotic arms. Surface searches are continuing alongside the underwater operation.

A second Turkish Navy rescue vessel, the TCG Alemdar, is expected to join the operation on Sept. 2.

The vessel has equipment designed to support deep-sea inspection and recovery work.

The Filo Jet capsized about four nautical miles off Kyrenia on Aug. 30, shortly after leaving the port for Taşucu in Türkiye’s southern province of Mersin.

The ferry was carrying 259 passengers and eight crew members.

Eight people were killed and 20 remain missing.

Thirteen of the 19 survivors treated at hospitals in Turkish Cyprus have been discharged and returned to Türkiye.

Turkish Cypriot Transport Minister Erhan Arıklı said a six-member team from Türkiye’s Transport and Infrastructure Ministry was also due to arrive to assist the investigation.

The team will examine the 26-year-old vessel’s certificates, inspection and maintenance records, previous repairs and seaworthiness.

Investigators are also reviewing its loading and stability, the crew’s actions and conditions at sea. The cause of the sinking has not yet been established.