Submersible Deployed in Search for 20 Missing After Cyprus Ferry Sinks
A submersible-equipped Turkish navy ship joins the search for 20 missing after a ferry capsized off Cyprus, killing eight.
A specialized Turkish navy vessel with a deep-sea submersible arrived on Tuesday to assist in the search for 20 people still missing after a passenger ferry capsized and sank off the coast of northern Cyprus on Sunday.
The ferry, Filo Jet, was carrying 267 passengers and crew when it went down shortly after leaving Kyrenia (Girne) for Tasucu, Turkey. Eight people have been confirmed dead.
The Turkish navy ship TCG Isin has reached the site and begun operations to locate the wreck, which lies in waters more than 500 meters deep. The vessel is equipped with a remotely operated submersible capable of descending up to 1,000 meters, providing seabed imagery and using robotic arms for recovery. Fifteen specialist divers are aboard.
"Once the wreck is identified, salvage operations will begin at a significant depth of 500 meters," said Cmdr. Ulas Cesur aboard the Isin. "Detailed search and investigation activities will be carried out around and on the wreck using a remotely operated underwater vehicle."
North Cypriot Prime Minister Unal Ustel said search and rescue efforts would continue uninterrupted, with strong support from Turkey. An air and sea search was conducted overnight about 7.5 kilometers off the coast, involving a plane, seven helicopters, five drones, and 17 vessels, according to Turkey's state-run Anadolu agency.
Survivors reported hearing loud noises from below decks before the ferry began listing and taking on water, trapping passengers as the vessel lurched onto its side. Many of those aboard were Turkish tourists returning from vacation.
On Tuesday, three victims were buried in Turkey, including 14-year-old Nisa Torer, whose father remains missing, and Huseyin Ozdemir, whose wife is also unaccounted for.
Eight crew members and a director of the ferry's owner, Filo Denizcilik, are in custody, with five others under investigation. Cyprus has been divided along ethnic lines since 1974, and only Turkey recognizes the breakaway Turkish Cypriot state in the north.