**Thirteenth Body Recovered from Kyrenia Ferry Wreck**
Kyrenia, Cyprus – A thirteenth body has been recovered from the wreckage of a passenger ferry that sank off the coast of Kyrenia last week, as confirmed by Turkish Cypriot ‘prime minister’ Unal Ustel on Saturday. The body, identified as belonging to a woman, is set to be sent to the Dr. Burhan Nalbantoglu Hospital in northern Nicosia for identification.
This tragic incident occurred last Sunday, and as of now, 15 individuals remain unaccounted for. Families of those missing have been gathering outside the entrance to the new port of Kyrenia, anxiously awaiting news for the seventh consecutive day.
Prime Minister Ustel assured the public that search operations are ongoing, stating, “Search operations, involving all the relevant units, are continuing seven days a week, 24 hours a day, to locate the missing persons.” He expressed gratitude to the Turkish army, navy, and air force for their dedicated contributions to the search efforts.
The search operation is extensive, with Turkish navy’s southern field commander, Mehmet Baybars Kucukatay, reporting on Friday that the operation includes nine ships and 11 aircraft, supported by a team of around 800 personnel. Kucukatay emphasized the commitment to searching both underwater and along the coastline, highlighting the deployment of a remotely operated underwater vehicle (ROV) by the Turkish deep-sea research ship TCG Alemdar. This advanced vehicle is capable of retrieving submerged objects weighing up to 135 kilograms and can operate at depths of up to 3,000 meters, while the ferry wreck is located at a depth of 554 meters.
In a related update, Turkish Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz visited Cyprus on Thursday and provided information regarding the survivors of the incident. Of the 133 individuals initially hospitalized after being rescued, only two remain in the hospital, and both are reported to be in stable condition and not facing critical health issues.
The ongoing recovery efforts and the search for the missing continue to draw attention and concern from the local community and beyond, as families hold onto hope for news of their loved ones.