Who is to blame for the ferry disaster? Survivors say they urged the captain to stop

Eight people died and 18 remained missing after the Filo Jet ferry accident off the coast of Northern Cyprus. Rescuers saved 241 of the 267 passengers and crew members aboard, while several survivors were taken to hospital.

The captain and seven crew members were detained the day after the disaster. Survivors said they had repeatedly warned the captain about the conditions and asked him to stop. “We told him to stop. The ship was being lifted into the air and then thrown back into the sea. We told him to stop, but he didn’t,” one passenger said.

The captain told a court that waves damaged the front of the vessel, allowing water to enter. Mustafa Koç, a local tourist-boat owner who helped with the rescue, alleged that the captain was among the first people to leave the sinking ferry.

Investigators are also examining whether the vessel was technically suitable for the voyage. Turkish media reported that a 2018 report warned the ferry had been built to carry passengers on lakes, and that its design and stability were not appropriate for open-sea conditions. The search for those still missing continues.

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We told him to stop. The ship was being lifted into the air and then thrown back into the sea. We told him to stop, but he didn’t.