Investigations are now focusing on the circumstances that led to the sinking of the “Filo Jet”, while the anguish continues over those still missing after the shipwreck off the coast of Kyrenia in the Turkish-occupied north of Cyprus. Survivors have reported serious shortcomings in safety measures and an inadequate response by the crew, while the captain and seven other people have been detained. The catamaran lies at a depth of 514 metres, making recovery of the black box particularly important.
The search-and-rescue operation is continuing, although reports differ over the exact number of people still missing. According to Philenews, 18 people have yet to be located, while Turkish media are reporting 23 missing. Earlier reports had put the number at 17.
Girne açıklarında yaşanan Filo Jet faciasına ilişkin ortaya çıkan yeni görüntüler, geminin alabora olarak batış anını görüntüledi.
— Kıbrıs Postası (@kibris_postasi) August 30, 2026
Video: Murat Şahin#haber #kktc #kıbrıs pic.twitter.com/SLwU4GzktH
A total of 267 people were on board, including 259 passengers and eight crew members, according to the Turkish Interior Ministry.
The survivors have been taken to hospitals and, according to Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhürman, their condition does not appear to be a serious cause for concern.
“Everyone survived by their own means”
Passengers’ accounts of what happened in the minutes after departure are now at the centre of the investigation.
İbrahim Kanbolat said that when passengers alerted the crew that water was entering the catamaran, they were told: “We’re used to it; this is normal.”
“Water started coming in very quickly. Eventually, a section on the side broke. I was sitting by the window. The ship immediately began to list. A crew member went to the back and then said: ‘Everyone run towards the rear.’ He did not give anyone a life jacket. Everyone survived by their own means,” he recounted.
"Gemi batıyor! Çocuklar var!"
— Kıbrıs Postası (@kibris_postasi) August 30, 2026
Girne açıklarında alabora olan gemide yolcuların son anları böyle görüntülendi. pic.twitter.com/VzmkMwxMUa
He was rescued by a private boat and alleged that crew members failed to distribute life jackets, despite there being children and people who could not swim among the passengers.
“It was literally a fight for survival”
Efe Multici gave a similar account to CNN Türk.
He said that some passengers were forced to jump into the sea without life jackets or life rings.
“Some were forced to jump without life rings or life jackets. It was literally a fight for survival,” he said.
According to his testimony, the vessel began taking on water around 20 to 25 minutes after leaving Kyrenia, at approximately noon local time.
Girne’de Deniz Faciası: Filo Jet Battı, 8 Kişi Hayatını Kaybetti
— objektifcesme (@objektifcesme) August 30, 2026
Kuzey Kıbrıs Türk Cumhuriyeti’nde Girne’den Mersin’in Taşucu Limanı’na gitmek üzere yola çıkan Filo Jet isimli yolcu gemisinin alabora olarak batması büyük faciaya yol açtı.
Gemide 259 yolcu ve 8 mürettebat olmak… pic.twitter.com/1aZ3acSCB8
The departure had already been delayed because of strong winds.
“The lack of life jackets was a huge problem for us,” he said. Describing the movement of the vessel, he added that “it was like being in a gondola.”
The man who saved dozens of passengers
Another deeply moving account came from Fırat Gençer, the owner of a water-sports business who joined the rescue effort with his own boat.
When he saw the catamaran leaving the port in particularly rough seas, he recalled saying to others: “Who travels in weather like this?”
A short time later, he spotted orange objects floating in the sea and alerted the Coast Guard. Initially, he was told that there had been no such incident reported. Five minutes later, however, they called him back and told him that “the ship is sinking.”
He rushed to the scene and took approximately 35 to 40 people aboard his boat.
He said he gave priority to small children and infants and that he rescued approximately 15 to 20 children in total.
“In the middle of the sea, it became a fight for life,” he said, recounting how people in the water pleaded with him: “Save me.”
Captain and seven others detained
Alongside the search for the missing, the authorities in the occupied territories are investigating the circumstances surrounding the catamaran’s sinking.
The captain and seven other people have been detained as part of the investigation.
The self-declared “prime minister” of the occupied territories, Ünal Üstel, said the vessel capsized after being hit by two large waves in succession.
According to his account, after the first wave the captain attempted to regain control of the catamaran, but a second wave followed, causing water to begin entering the vessel.
Local media, however, report that the captain noticed water entering the vessel shortly after it departed for Silifke in Mersin and attempted to return to Kyrenia, but was unable to do so.
“Filo Jet” lies at a depth of 514 metres
The wreck has been located at a depth of approximately 514 metres, making the investigation particularly difficult.
Turkey is expected to send a specialist vessel and divers to reinforce the search and recovery operation.
Particular importance is being attached to recovering the “Filo Jet”’s black box, as investigators believe its data could provide crucial information about what happened in the moments leading up to the sinking.
The catamaran had undergone an inspection just two months earlier by Türk Loydu at the Akdeniz shipyard.
What the company says
Filo Denizcilik Şti. Ltd., the company that owns the catamaran, said it established a crisis-management team immediately after the shipwreck.
The company said it was coordinating with the search-and-rescue teams and had mobilised all available resources.
It also established a dedicated crisis and information hotline for passengers’ relatives, stressing that official information about the progress of the search would be issued by the competent authorities.
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