Cyprus Ferry Death Toll Rises to 12 as Search Continues for 16 Missing

The death toll from a ferry accident off northern Cyprus has risen to 12 after rescuers recovered the bodies of two women, while search teams continue efforts to locate 16 people still missing, authorities said on Friday.

The FiloJet ferry was carrying 267 passengers when it capsized shortly after leaving the port of Kyrenia on the northern coast of the divided island around midday on Sunday.

Rescue teams pulled 239 people from the water, while eight people were initially confirmed dead and another 20 were reported missing. Authorities said at the time that those missing were believed to have gone down with the vessel.

Search operations have continued around the clock, resulting in the recovery of four additional bodies since the initial death toll was announced. The latest two victims were found on Friday morning.

Unal Ustel, prime minister of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, confirmed the latest recoveries in a post on X.

“The bodies of two more people have been recovered,” Ustel said, indicating that both victims were women. He added that rescue teams were continuing to work around the clock to locate the remaining 16 missing people.

The ferry wreck is resting at a depth of about 514 metres, making the operation particularly difficult. Two Turkish naval vessels equipped with underwater drones have been involved in the search since Wednesday morning, alongside specialist divers and other rescue personnel.

Before the latest recoveries, officials said the eight people confirmed dead were Turkish nationals. They also said 18 of the original 20 missing people were believed to be Turkish citizens, while the remaining two were from northern Cyprus. Authorities have not released further details about the nationalities of the four bodies recovered since Wednesday night.

Investigators have yet to retrieve the ferry’s voyage data recorder, commonly known as its black box. The device could provide important information about the circumstances that caused the vessel to capsize.

The ferry’s captain and eight other people were placed in custody on Monday on negligent homicide charges. They appeared before a court in Kyrenia, also known as Girne in Turkish, for a second hearing on Thursday.

According to media reports, police investigators told the court that the disaster may have been prevented if the captain had reduced the ferry’s speed and turned back toward the port after the vessel began taking on water.

Authorities have not yet announced when the recovery operation will end, as specialist teams continue working at the wreck site in an effort to find those still missing.