The captain, seven crew members, and one company employee of the passenger vessel Filo Jet were brought before the so-called court in occupied Kyrenia, following Sunday’s deadly shipwreck off the coast.
According to the captain’s testimony, the vessel capsized after its bow suffered damage from the waves. Eight people have died, while 18 remain missing.
Detainees Appear in Court
The legal proceedings began after the arrest of Captain M.Ö., seven crew members, and one company employee. The detainees were brought before the so-called court in Kyrenia, as the occupying authorities in northern Cyprus investigate the circumstances of the accident and possible responsibility for the deaths.
After confirming the identities of the accused, the judge ordered that the seven individuals wanted for “causing death by negligence” also be brought before the court. The hearing is set to continue once those individuals appear.
“The Bow Broke”
In their testimony before the court, the captain and crew members claimed the incident began when the ship’s bow was damaged by the waves.
They also stated that weather conditions posed no problem at the time of departure and that the vessel held the required navigation and operating permits.
According to the report, the captain testified in his statement that “the bow broke from the waves.”
What the Court Is Requesting
The self-declared administration’s court requested that additional evidence be gathered on the circumstances of the accident, as the investigation continues and examines whether there were omissions or liability involved.
Specifically, the court asked for the collection of technical data, witness examinations, information on whether a parallel investigation has begun in Turkey, and completion of the remaining related documents.
Capsized While Returning to Port
The Filo Jet, a high-speed passenger vessel operating the Kyrenia to Tasucu (Mersin) route, began taking on water at the bow shortly after departing Kyrenia port on Sunday afternoon.
The ship attempted to return to Kyrenia but capsized during the attempt to reach the harbor.
A total of 267 people were on board, 259 passengers and eight crew members. Of these, 241 were rescued and 8 died, while search and rescue operations for the 18 missing continue.
The Ship’s History
“This particular ship was built in 2000 in France and ran this route from occupied Cyprus to Turkey. At some point there was an ownership dispute, and it was seized. It sat for a long time at the port of Silifke in Turkey. It changed ownership and passed some inspections. That’s what we know about the ship’s history,” Cyprus Times journalist Manolis Kalatzis said on MEGA.
“It had in fact passed an inspection two months ago,” the self-declared administration’s so-called prime minister said. “Everything checked out according to a Turkish classification society. Whether it really was fine remains to be seen, once we know exactly what caused this terrible tragedy. Some claim it was the waves, the weather conditions.”
Coast guard vessels, private boats, and helicopters took part in the rescue operation, working to retrieve injured passengers. Unfortunately, 8 bodies were also found.
The investigation into the exact causes of the maritime tragedy is ongoing, with the Turkish Cypriot side pinning its hopes for answers on data from the ship’s black box. According to the same sources, the Republic of Cyprus offered to send assistance for the rescue effort, but the Turkish side rejected the offer.
