Newsroom
A specialist deep-sea vessel is joining efforts to locate the ferry’s voyage-data recorder, which could provide crucial evidence about its final moments. Nine people connected to the vessel’s operation have reportedly been detained, while survivors claim life jackets were difficult to reach and that warnings about water entering the ferry came before it overturned.
Meanwhile, the company operating the FILOJET has been suspended as investigators turn their attention to what happened before the ferry overturned, and whether the disaster could have been prevented.
Eight people are confirmed dead and 20 remain missing after authorities checked the passenger manifest against the names of those rescued. The revised figure adds another painful layer to a tragedy that has left families waiting for news and raised serious questions about ferry safety in the region.
A specialist Turkish vessel equipped for deep-sea operations is expected to join the search Tuesday. The FILOJET is believed to be resting more than 500 metres beneath the sea, making the recovery operation both difficult and dangerous.
One of the main targets is the ferry’s voyage-data recorder, commonly described as a ship’s black box. It could contain crucial information about the vessel’s final journey, including its movements, technical alarms and communications before it overturned.
The investigation is also widening on land.
Nine people linked to the ferry’s operation have reportedly been detained, while Turkish Cypriot authorities have suspended the operator, Filo Denizcilik. Port officials involved in authorising the journey have also been removed from their positions as investigators examine whether the ferry should have been allowed to leave.
Survivors describe confusion and inaccessible life jackets
Accounts from survivors are now adding to concerns over what happened aboard the vessel.
Some passengers have said life jackets were difficult to access and that there was confusion over how to evacuate. Others claim there were warnings that water was entering the ferry before it overturned.
Those accounts have not yet been established as fact and will need to be tested against physical evidence, crew statements and information recovered from the wreck.
Investigators must now determine when the ferry was last inspected, who certified it as safe and whether all the required checks were carried out before departure. They are also expected to examine whether passengers received clear emergency instructions and whether the crew responded properly once trouble began.
