The ferry that sank off northern Cyprus left 20 people missing, including two children.
On a storm‑y Sunday, the high‑speed passenger ferry Filo Jet departed Kyrenia, a coastal town in the Turkish‑controlled northern part of Cyprus, en route to Tasucu in Turkey. Within minutes the vessel, carrying 259 passengers and eight crew, jolted violently, fled into the sea and capsized to a depth of 514 metres.
Eight people were killed in the crash. Seventeen passengers are in hospitals while 18 remain missing, according to local authorities. Those missing include 12‑year‑old Miray and 6‑year‑old Memhet Asaf, whose parents, Ayten and Hayri Bicer, are now waiting for news at Kyrenia port.
"She felt her daughter slip from her grasp as the ship overturned," said Ayten Bicer. "A suitcase fell on top of her, and her daughter slipped out of my hand when I tried to hold her, because the water was slick with engine oil. I couldn’t rescue her.”
The wreckage was found floating with a black suitcase bobbing on the surface and a steel sheet broken from the hull. Authorities have begun a search for the vessel’s black‑box recorder to shed light on the disaster.
The fishing vessel’s captain and eight crew members have been arrested and will be detained for three days while other suspects are sought. Meanwhile, a ship from Turkey is expected to arrive on Tuesday to aid in rescue operations.
A three‑day period of national mourning has commenced in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. The ferry was built in 2008, is 40 m long and 10 m wide, and sailed under the flag of Turkey, according to Marine Traffic.
