Turkey sends navy vessel to search for missing after ferry sinking off Cyprus
Turkey has deployed a deep-sea naval vessel to help search for 20 people still missing after a catamaran ferry capsized off northern Cyprus. The ship will assist in retrieving the black box and determining the cause of the disaster.
The Turkish Navy's rescue vessel TCG Işın arrived Tuesday at the port of Kyrenia in northern Cyprus to join the ongoing search and rescue operation. The ship is helping search for 20 people who remain missing after a catamaran capsized last Sunday.
Deep-sea equipment
The Turkish vessel is equipped with sonar and an underwater device capable of operating at depths of up to 3,000 meters, allowing crews to examine the sunken ferry and attempt to retrieve its flight data recorder, or "black box," now considered key evidence in determining the cause of the disaster. The operation may also help establish whether any passengers remained trapped inside compartments when the vessel capsized.
Circumstances of the sinking
On Sunday, August 30, the high-speed catamaran Filo Jet departed Kyrenia for Taşucu in southern Turkey carrying 259 passengers and eight crew members. The vessel began taking on water, capsized about four nautical miles from shore, and sank at a depth of 514 meters. According to officials, 239 people were rescued, while eight deaths have so far been confirmed.
Court proceedings
On Monday, the ferry's captain and seven crew members appeared in court in Kyrenia alongside the director of the operating company. Police told the court they had obtained testimony indicating the crew had been warned about water entering the vessel from below but continued the voyage regardless. Other testimony accused crew members of failing to assist passengers or explain how to use life jackets. The defense argued that the crew had deployed life jackets and life rafts and assisted with the evacuation.
