Authorities in Turkey and Cyprus detained the captain and the other seven crew members of the passenger ship that sank this Sunday off the northern coast of Cyprus, a shipwreck that has left at least eight people dead.
“We are facing a tragic accident that will go down in history as the greatest maritime disaster Cyprus has ever suffered,” said the Turkish Cypriot prime minister, Ünal Üstel, referring to the sinking of the high-speed ferry, which was carrying 267 people: 259 passengers and eight crew members.
The Minister of Transport, Erhan Arikli, reported that the number of dead increased from seven to eight, while the number of missing decreased to 17 people. More than 200 people have been rescued alive, an undetermined number of them with injuries of varying severity.
The Filojet, a 40.5-meter high-speed catamaran belonging to the Turkish company Filo Denizcilik, had departed from the port of Girne heading to Turkey when it encountered a severe storm.
At 12:10 hours, the crew issued a distress call to report that the vessel was taking on water about three miles off the northern coast of Cyprus.
Rescue operations began immediately with four Coast Guard boats, two helicopters, a patrol boat, an assault boat, and diving teams from Civil Defense and the Police. Despite the operation, the ship ended up capsizing and sinking.
Read more At least seven dead and 23 missing after ferry sinking off the northern coast of Cyprus
The efforts were joined by two aircraft, four helicopters, four unmanned aerial vehicles, and four Coast Guard vessels deployed by the Turkish Armed Forces, according to Üstel.
The arrival of a search and rescue ship from the Turkish Naval Forces is also expected, with the capacity to search at depths of up to 1,000 meters.
“While search and rescue operations continue, an investigation has been immediately launched to determine the causes of this disaster. The ship’s captain and seven crew members have been detained,” the prime minister said.
According to Üstel, the vessel is completely submerged in an area where the depth reaches approximately 500 meters, and there is fear that there are still people trapped inside.
The shipping company, meanwhile, has formed an internal crisis management team to mobilize its resources.
