A week after a ferry capsized off Cyprus, the grim work of recovery continued today as rescuers pulled another body from the sea, pushing the confirmed death toll to 13 and leaving 15 people still unaccounted for, officials said.
The FiloJet ferry had 267 people on board when it overturned shortly after leaving the port of Kyrenia on the northern coast of the divided island at around midday on Sunday.
Search and rescue teams have kept operating around the clock since the accident, combing the waters off Kyrenia as hopes of finding more survivors have faded with each passing day.
Authorities in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) — a breakaway state recognised only by Ankara — said the latest recovery brought the number of confirmed fatalities to 13.
“With the recovery of another body, the number of people who lost their lives in the accident has risen to 13, while the number of missing persons is now 15,” TRNC Prime Minister Unal Ustel said.
Officials also reported that the ferry’s wreck had been found at a depth of 554 metres off Kyrenia, underscoring the challenges facing divers and recovery crews.
Cyprus has remained divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded and occupied the island’s northern third following an Athens-engineered Greek Cypriot coup aimed at unification with Greece.
Today, the island is made up of the TRNC, which declared independence in 1983 but is recognised only by Ankara, and the EU member Republic of Cyprus in the south.
The TRNC maintains regular air and sea connections with Turkey.
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