Cyprus ferry death toll rises to 12 as search for 16 missing continues

The death toll in the Cyprus ferry sinking has risen to 12 as crews search for 16 missing people. The deep-water rescue effort and widening probe have intensified scrutiny of the vessel's final voyage.The death toll from the passenger ferry that sank off the coast of Cyprus has risen to 12 after the remains of two more people were recovered from the wreck, the leader of the island's northern territory said on Friday. Sixteen people are still missing.The Filo Jet, carrying 267 passengers and crew, capsized and sank on Sunday afternoon after leaving Kyrenia in northern Cyprus for Tasucu in Turkiye. Search teams are continuing operations at sea as authorities also investigate the circumstances of the sinking.Prime Minister Unal Ustel, in comments reported by the Cypriot newspaper Kibris, said the remains recovered most recently were those of two women. The bodies of a man and a woman had been recovered earlier.Two Turkish navy search and rescue vessels have joined the operation, carrying submersible vessels capable of reaching the ferry wreckage about 550 metres below the surface. The search is being carried out around 7.5 kilometres off the northern Cypriot coast. Speaking to reporters in Kyrenia, known as Girne in Turkish, Ustel said, "Our search operations to reach our 16 missing people continue uninterruptedly on a 24/7 basis with the strong support of the Republic of Turkiye and the participation of all relevant units. They are carrying out these operations under very difficult conditions."Survivors said the wide-bodied catamaran began listing and taking on water after they heard a number of loud noises from below the decks, triggering panic on board. They said people were trapped inside the passenger seating area as water rushed in and the vessel lurched onto its side. Eight crew members and a director of the ferry's owner, Filo Denizcilik, are in custody. Five others, including Filo Denizcilik staff and port officials, are also under investigation.Cyprus was split along ethnic lines in 1974, and Turkish Cypriots declared independence in 1983. Only Turkiye recognises the north of the island, where it maintains more than 35,000 troops. The search for the 16 missing people is continuing as investigators examine how the ferry sank.With PTI Inputs- EndsPublished By: India Today Web Desk Published On: Sep 4, 2026 16:24 IST