Newsroom
Underwater cameras have detected more bodies inside the wreck of the FILOJET, offering a grim sign of what rescue crews may find as they work hundreds of meters below the sea off Kyrenia.
A tenth victim was recovered Thursday, raising the confirmed death toll to 10. Eighteen people remain missing.
Turkish Cypriot leader Unal Ustel said teams hoped to reach more of the victims Friday. The ferry is lying at a depth of approximately 550 meters, far beyond the reach of ordinary divers and deep enough to make every part of the operation slow and difficult.
Seven Turkish naval vessels and 11 aircraft are involved in the search, which has now entered its sixth day. Specialist equipment is being used to examine the wreck and reach areas where passengers may have become trapped.
For relatives gathered in Kyrenia, the discovery brings neither closure nor hope of a rescue. Families have spent days waiting for news, while the operation increasingly shifts from searching for survivors to recovering the dead.
The FILOJET was carrying 259 passengers and eight crew members when it left Kyrenia for Taşucu in southern Turkey on Sunday. It sent a distress signal shortly after departure and capsized just a few nautical miles from the Cyprus coast.
Hundreds of people were pulled from the water or rescued from the overturned vessel before it sank. Survivors have described panic on board, difficulties finding life jackets, and a lack of clear instructions as water entered the ferry.
The disaster has also opened a wider investigation into how the vessel was allowed to sail and whether warning signs were ignored. The captain, crew members, and a company official have been detained, while the ferry operator’s services have been suspended.
The wreck’s voyage data recorder, often referred to as the ship’s black box, is expected to be central to the investigation. It could help establish what happened in the minutes before the vessel overturned and whether decisions made on board contributed to the disaster.
For Cyprus, an island where ferries and boats are part of everyday summer travel, the tragedy has struck painfully close to home. The FILOJET went down within sight of the coastline shortly after beginning what should have been a routine crossing to Turkey.
What remains unanswered is not only why the ferry sank but also whether it should ever have been allowed to leave port.
