Death toll in Cyprus ferry disaster rises to 13

Rescuers recovered another body from the FiloJet ferry disaster off Cyprus, raising the confirmed death toll to 13. Fifteen people remain missing as round-the-clock search operations continue.

The ferry was carrying 267 people when it capsized around midday on Sunday, shortly after leaving the port of Kyrenia on the northern coast of the divided island. Authorities in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus said the wreck had been located 554 metres below the sea off Kyrenia.

“With the recovery of another body, the number of people who lost their lives in the accident has risen to 13, while the number of missing persons is now 15,” TRNC Prime Minister Unal Ustel said.

The rescue operation is taking place against Cyprus’s long-running political division. The island has been split since 1974, when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third after an Athens-backed Greek Cypriot coup sought union with Greece. The TRNC declared independence in 1983 and is recognised only by Turkey, while the Republic of Cyprus controls the south and is a European Union member.

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With the recovery of another body, the number of people who lost their lives in the accident has risen to 13, while the number of missing persons is now 15