Captain and seven crew members arrested following Kyrenia ferry disaster

Local accidentkyreniaTop Newsturkey Captain and seven crew members arrested following Kyrenia ferry disaster Image 511 Relevant News Captain and seven crew members arrested following Kyrenia ferry disaster 30 August 2026 RoC assistance not needed in Kyrenia boat disaster, authorities say 30 August 2026 Cape Greco tragedy: Rescue teams battled 6 Beaufort seas to save four people, JRCC chief says 30 August 2026 newsroom 30 August 2026 FacebookXWhatsAppEmailPrintViber ​”Police” in the occupied north have arrested the captain and seven crew members of the Filo Jet passenger ferry as part of an official investigation into Sunday afternoon’s deadly capsizing off Kyrenia, Turkish Cypriot “prime minister” Ünal Üstel announced. ​Üstel stated that authorities have launched a comprehensive inquiry into the causes of the incident and promised that any negligence or failure of responsibility will be met with strict accountability. He added that search and rescue operations will continue non-stop until all missing individuals are accounted for. ​The announcement comes as the death toll reached eight, with 17 people still missing, according to Turkish Cypriot “minister of public works and transport” Erhan Arıklı. ​Speaking to BRT, Arıklı stated that search and rescue operations were continuing intensively, revealing that the sunken vessel has settled on the seabed at a depth of 514 metres. Fully equipped vessels and specialized divers are expected to arrive from Turkey within hours to conduct deep-sea search operations. ​Addressing speculation regarding the cause of the disaster, Arıklı urged the public to ignore disinformation on social media. He pointed out that the ship had undergone an inspection just two months ago at the “Akdeniz” shipyard by “Türk Loydu”, which he described as a reliable classification society. ​Arıklı noted that the ferry began taking on water and sank within a very short timeframe, emphasizing that recovering the vessel’s black box will be essential to understanding why the ship went down. ​The catamaran Express, owned by Filo Denizcilik (Filo Jet), capsized on Sunday afternoon while carrying 267 people—comprising 259 passengers and eight crew members. The vessel had departed the port about an hour late after harbour authorities initially withheld clearance due to adverse weather conditions. Shortly after departure, the ferry encountered heavy seas and began taking on water from its bow, with preliminary reports indicating that the aging fibreglass structure suffered severe damage and broke apart. ​So far, 237 people have been rescued. Emergency efforts on site involve military units, coast guard vessels, private boats, and helicopters, with ambulances staged at Kyrenia Port to transport survivors to hospitals. Image ​The Republic of Cyprus offered immediate assistance through the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (JRCC), confirming its readiness to deploy aeronautical assets or assume operational control of the search to protect human life. President Nikos Christodoulides instructed the Greek Cypriot negotiator to communicate the offer to the Turkish Cypriot leader via UNFICYP, with government sources stressing that all available resources must be mobilised when lives are at risk. Read more: Kyrenia boat disaster death toll rises to eight, 17 still missing Subscribe to our Newsletter Latest News RoC assistance not needed in Kyrenia boat disaster, authorities say Cape Greco tragedy: Rescue teams battled 6 Beaufort seas to save four people, JRCC chief says Kyrenia boat disaster death toll rises to eight, 17 still missing Panic and distress captured inside passenger ship before it sank off Kyrenia Cyprus offers assistance after deadly ship sinking off Kyrenia 48 third-country nationals arrested in Larnaca over illegal stay 80-year-old man killed in Limassol–Paphos motorway crash near Avdimou Follow en.philenews on Google News and be the first to know all the news about Cyprus and the world.