Deep-sea team joins search for missing in Cyprus ferry disaster
NICOSIA, Sept 1 (Reuters) - A specialist team from Turkey equipped to search deep waters started work on Tuesday to pinpoint the wreckage of a ferry that capsized off northern Cyprus on Sunday, with 20 people still missing. At least eight people died when the twin-hulled vessel started taking in water and overturned shortly after leaving the port of Kyrenia with 267 passengers and crew on board.
A deep-sea search team from Turkey is expected to arrive in northern Cyprus on Tuesday to assist in the search for 20 people still unaccounted for following the sinking of the Filo Jet ferry. The disaster, which killed at least eight individuals, occurred two days prior when the vessel capsized off the northern Cyprus coast. The 66-year-old captain of the ferry, Mustafa Oz, has been arrested by authorities in northern Cyprus, along with several others connected to the ferry's operation.
Some reports suggest he may have abandoned the ship after it turned over, though this claim has not been independently verified. Witnesses described the catamaran listing and rocking violently before slamming back into the water, with a portion of its bow breaking off and causing a breach. Passengers reportedly jumped into the sea in an attempt to survive, with many lacking life jackets and having to fight for survival.
The missing individuals include 18 Turkish citizens and two from northern Cyprus, with some of the latter being children. The wreckage now rests over 500 meters beneath the surface and is out of reach for current search equipment. The cause of the accident is under investigation, and a court recently extended the detainment of nine people for an additional three days.
Survivors have reported a shortage of life jackets and a chaotic scene as the ferry began to sink. Eyewitnesses recounted harrowing accounts of families being separated and struggling to find one another in the aftermath.
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