Sunken vessel found at a depth of 550 metres off Girne

TRNC President Tufan Erhürman said that an object preliminarily assessed as the sunken Filo Jet vessel had been found off the coast of Girne at a depth of 550 metres. The wreck site had previously been estimated to be at approximately 514 metres.

According to Erhürman, the operation is extremely delicate and is therefore progressing slowly: the site is being surveyed remotely by underwater robots at such a depth, while strong currents are hampering the work. A final conclusion about what exactly has been found will be announced later.

The Turkish rescue vessel TCG Işın is operating at the wreck site. Its commander, Captain Ulaş Cesur, explained that the robots are first searching for points of entry into the hull, after which a detailed inspection will begin. The vessel is capable of operating at night, so the operation is continuing without interruption; another Turkish rescue vessel, TCG Alemdar, is expected to arrive in the area the following day.

The high-speed passenger vessel Filo Jet, which operated between Girne and Taşucu in Turkey’s Mersin province, capsized on Sunday afternoon shortly after leaving port: water began entering through the bow, and the crew attempted to return to the pier. A total of 241 people were rescued, 8 people died, and the fate of 20 passengers and crew members remains unknown.

Erhürman, who was monitoring the work at the site, noted that the families of those missing were waiting for news and had every right to be angry, while the state was obliged to listen to them and provide all available information. “Whatever this case leads to, those responsible will have to answer for it,” he said.