Death toll rises to 18 following ferry sinking off Kyrenia

The death toll from the sinking of the Filo Jet catamaran off the coast of Kyrenia has reached 18, as search teams recovered three additional bodies earlier this week. The vessel capsized shortly after departing the port of Kyrenia for Tasucu, Turkey, on August 30, carrying 259 passengers and eight crew members. Among the latest recoveries, authorities confirmed the identities of five-year-old Mehmet Asaf Bicer and Nihat Pancar, while one further body is undergoing DNA analysis.

Ten people remain missing a month after the tragedy. Recovery operations are currently ongoing at depths of 550 metres, with officials describing the process as a complex, slow-moving search involving underwater robots and aerial support. Authorities have vowed to continue these efforts indefinitely to locate all missing individuals.

Following the accident, nine people, including the ferry’s captain, Mustafa Oz, seven crew members, and an operations director, were arrested. A criminal investigation is currently underway, and the Turkish Cypriot government has pledged to pursue the judicial process thoroughly as part of its ongoing response to the disaster.