Northern Cyprus detains ferry crew after Filo Jet capsizes, leaving eight dead and 20 missing

Vessel capsize off Kyrenia

On Sunday, 30 August 2026, the passenger catamaran Filo Jet departed the port of Kyrenia, also known as Girne, bound for the southern Turkish port of Tasucu. The double-hulled vessel carried 267 people, consisting of 259 passengers and eight crew members. Departure had been delayed due to poor weather, with the vessel finally setting sail around midday. Approximately 4 nautical miles (7.4 kilometres) off the northern coast of Cyprus, the ferry began taking on water after encountering heavy sea conditions. Although the captain attempted to turn back toward Kyrenia, the catamaran rolled over, leaving passengers trapped inside or clinging to the overturned hull before the ship sank to a depth of roughly 500 metres.

Search operations and casualties

Emergency responders and passing civilian vessels pulled 239 people from the water on Sunday. Search and rescue operations coordinated by a crisis centre at Kyrenia port confirmed at least eight fatalities. Local authorities initially reported 18 people missing before updating the count to 20 on Monday afternoon, while other source reports placed the missing figure at 23. Military vessels from Northern Cyprus and Turkey, supported by military aircraft, drones, and naval divers, continued scouring the search zone through Monday. Two specialised Turkish research ships were dispatched to the site, with robotic diving equipment scheduled to reach the sunken hull on Tuesday to retrieve images and search for victims.

Crew detentions and court proceedings

Following the sinking, Judge Hazal Hacimulla of the Kyrenia district court issued 16 arrest warrants. Nine individuals, including the captain, seven crew members, and an executive shareholder of the operator Filo Denizcilik, appeared in court on Monday. Northern Cyprus state broadcaster BRT reported that prosecutors are pursuing charges of manslaughter and causing death by negligence. Judge Hacimulla ordered a three-day remand in custody for the nine suspects to allow investigators to collect vessel technical logs and interview witnesses, while assessing whether parallel proceedings should open in Turkey. During his court appearance, the captain stated that the catamaran bow cracked and gave way under repeated wave impacts shortly after leaving the harbour.

Passenger accounts and state response

Survivors described widespread panic and unheeded safety warnings as water entered the passenger cabins. Passenger Efe Mültici stated that the ship was rocking from the first minute like a gondola, with heavy impacts as waves hit the bow. Other passengers reported hearing a sound resembling an explosion at the front of the vessel before it listed. Survivor Ayten Bicer, who was returning to southern Turkey with her family after a holiday, described how falling luggage separated her from her 12-year-old daughter Miray and nine-year-old son Mehmet, both of whom remained missing on Monday.

We have contacted all the families, both those of the people who lost their lives and those of the people we have not yet been able to locate.

President Tufan Erhürman announced three days of national mourning on Monday and pledged an exhaustive investigation into all operational and technical failures connected to the sinking.