It is reported that the death toll has reached 18 following the sinking of a passenger vessel carrying 267 people off the coast of Northern Cyprus.
Sea-news.az reports citing Teleqraf, that search operations for 14 missing individuals are currently ongoing.
The incident occurred on August 30 when the “FiloJet” catamaran, traveling from the port of Girne to the Turkish town of Taşucu, suffered an accident. Shortly after leaving the port, the vessel began taking on water, capsized, and sank approximately four miles offshore.
According to TASS, the vessel sank to a depth of 514 meters. Although initial reports stated that 239 people had been rescued, Northern Cyprus leader Tufan Erhürman later announced that the number of rescued individuals was 241.
A Russian citizen is also reported to be among the deceased.
An investigation into the causes of the disaster is underway. The possibility of the vessel colliding with an unidentified object is also being examined. Meanwhile, crew members claim that the crash occurred after the bow section of the catamaran detached.
As part of the investigation, 14 individuals, including the captain of the vessel, have reportedly been arrested.
Türkiye has deployed naval forces, coast guard cutters, and helicopters to assist in the search and rescue operations.
