Private sector support has been added to the efforts to reach the people who went missing after the passenger ship named “Filo Jet” sank off the coast of Kyrenia in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC).
In a written statement issued by the Prime Ministry, TRNC Prime Minister Ünal Üstel stated that search operations are ongoing and that additional resources and capacities were evaluated during his contacts in Turkey.
Üstel emphasized that military vessels belonging to the Turkish Naval Forces are continuing search operations without interruption and thanked the search and rescue personnel on duty.
Announcing that a private company specialized in deep-water searches and possessing the necessary technical capacity has been authorized, Üstel stated, “In this context, technical and operational preparations have begun. The subsequent process will continue under the coordination of the relevant institutions and in line with the determined roadmap.”
The high-speed passenger ship Filo Jet, which operates between Kyrenia Port and Mersin’s Taşucu Port, began taking on water from its bow shortly after departing from Kyrenia on Sunday, August 30. The ship, which attempted to return to port, sank off the coast of Kyrenia.
Prime Minister Üstel had previously announced that there were a total of 267 people on board, including passengers and crew, and that 239 people had been rescued. While it was reported that the wreckage was located at a depth of 554 meters, 14 people lost their lives in the disaster. Search efforts continue to reach the 14 missing people.
News Source: 12punto
