Divers plan search of ferry wreck off Cyprus for missing people and data recorder

A Turkish specialist vessel is expected in Northern Cyprus for a dive to the wreck of the Filo Jet, which lies about 500 meters below the surface. The search will focus on people still missing after the ferry disaster and on the ship’s data recorder.

Tufan Erhürman, president of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, said the operation would seek both the missing passengers and the recorder. On Monday evening, 20 people were still unaccounted for, including at least two children.

The recorder continuously stores information including the vessel’s position, course, speed, radar data, engine status and alarms. Investigators hope those records will help reconstruct what happened.

The Turkish rescue and salvage ship TCG IŞIN is equipped for deep-water operations, according to the Northern Cypriot newspaper Zypernpost. Its equipment reportedly includes a remotely operated underwater vehicle and an atmospheric diving suit.

The express ferry overturned on Sunday shortly after leaving Kyrenia, also known as Girne, for the southern Turkish port of Mersin. Water entered the catamaran for reasons that remain unclear, and the vessel sank a few kilometers from the coast. Official figures put the death toll at eight, while 239 people were rescued.

Some survivors made serious accusations against the crew. A court ordered three days of investigative detention for the captain and eight other suspects on Monday. Prosecutors accuse them of causing deaths through negligence and carelessness. Cyprus has remained de facto divided since 1974, and Northern Cyprus is recognized internationally only by Turkey.