Filo Jet crash: 12 victims and new investigation findings

The Filo Jet disaster has already claimed 12 lives, and 16 people remain missing. The identification of the two women rescued from the wreck this morning—Şerife Özdemir and Nazmiye Özbolat—was completed on Friday evening. Search operations at sea and around the sunken vessel continue uninterrupted.

At the same time, new information is emerging from the investigation. During the proceedings conducted in the occupied north, data was presented about the vessel's earlier water intake, engine and rudder problems, and the account of the second captain, who allegedly advised against proceeding. Following the disaster, further personnel changes were also made within the structures responsible for transport and ports.

Two more victims identified

Two bodies recovered from the wreckage on Friday were women. Late in the evening, Ünal Üstel, the "prime minister" of the unrecognized Turkish Cypriot administration, announced that identification had been completed.

The victims are Şerife Özdemir and Nazmiye ÖzbolatFamilies have been informed. The official tally now stands at:

• 239 rescued,
• 12 fatalities,
• 16 people still missing.

Elmas Demir, whose body was recovered from the wreck on Thursday, was also previously identified.

CHECK ALSO
In the previous CYPRNews update we described the start of the operation at the wreck and the correction of the list of missing persons:
https://cyprnews.pl/katastrofa-na-cyprze-20-osob-zaginionych-rusza-operacja-przy-wraku/

Filo Jet Disaster: Robots Work at 554 Meters

Here there is an important clarification compared to previous announcements.

In the first days after the disaster it was reported that the Filo Jet was at a depth of approximately 514 metersThe latest information from the Turkish Navy already speaks of 554 meters and this is the value given by the teams currently conducting the operation at the wreck.

About 1000 people are involved in the activities. 800 people, nine vessels and 11 aircraftThe specialized TCG Işın and TCG Alemdar submarines, as well as surface-controlled underwater robots, play a key role.

Rescuers are trying not only to reach more people near or inside the wreckage. One of the most important goals of the operation is also extraction of the data recorder, known as the Filo Jet black boxAs of late Friday evening, there was no information whether the device had been recovered.

The second captain was said to have advised against sailing

Much more is also known about the procedure for decisions made before departure.

Nine people – including the company director, captain, co-captain, crew members and technical staff – will remain detained by another eight daysThe mere fact of being detained and conducting proceedings does not, of course, determine their liability.

According to information presented before the Turkish Cypriot "court", the second captain testified that the port of Taşucu was closed that day due to weather conditions until 3 p.m. and that he advised the captain against starting the voyage.

The captain nevertheless made the decision to sail. This is part of the evidence presented during the investigation, not a legally binding finding regarding the cause of the disaster.

Previously, water, engine and rudder

Even more serious is the information regarding the technical history of the unit.

The material presented during the meeting shows that The Filo Jet was supposed to take on water earlier, and before the disaster there were problems with the engine and control system.

According to a preliminary assessment provided by the Turkish Cypriot "police", the fact that water had appeared earlier could have prevented another such incident from being treated with the appropriate seriousness.

Investigators are also analyzing the vessel's behavior after noticing the inflow of water. Expert opinions and witness statements presented indicate that after the vessel aborted its voyage and returned to port, at very low speed the disaster could have been avoided.

However, this is still a preliminary investigation. The final answer should come from a technical report, an analysis of the wreckage, and—if recovered—data from the flight recorder.

Captain and license from Honduras

A new, unusual aspect of the proceedings also emerged, concerning the captain's powers.

According to information presented to the "court," his previous Turkish license expired after a break in practice of approximately ten years. He later obtained Honduran license for about $3,500, then registered in Greece and subjected to the recognition procedure in the occupied north.

Importantly, it was also stated during the meeting that the currently used license was considered valid. However, the method of obtaining it is one of the elements reviewed in the proceedings.

The ship's documentation remains similarly ambiguous. On the one hand, the investigation revealed that no irregularities were found in the inspection and maintenance documents. On the other hand, two international documents were allegedly missing: Radio Safety Certificate and Load Line Certificate. Türk Loydu is also to check documentation relating to previous inspections of the unit.

Resignations reach transport and port management

The disaster has also already had serious administrative and political consequences.

On September 2nd, Erhan Arıklı, who served as "Minister" of Public Works and Transport in the unrecognized administration, was dismissed from his position. Following his dismissal, the YDP, which he led, decided to leave the coalition.

On Friday, September 4, the decision to dismiss was published in the local official journal. three more high-ranking officials with effect from September 5:

• Enver Öztürk – Undersecretary of the Ministry,
• Mustafa Ambar – director of the ministry,
• Emsala Emirzadeoğluları – Director of the Ports Department.

Murat Salel became the new undersecretary. The decrees themselves no reasons were given for the dismissal, therefore they should not be automatically presented as a statement of responsibility for the disaster.

Two people remain in hospital

There is also one piece of good news regarding the survivors.

Of the 133 people who were initially taken to hospitals after the disaster, there are only two of them leftAccording to information provided by Turkish Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz, none of them are in critical condition.

The search for the 16 missing persons is to continue uninterrupted. Given the wreck's current depth, however, an increasing portion of the operation relies not on traditional diving rescue techniques but on specialized deep-sea equipment and robots.

Source: Türk Ajansı Kıbrıs, Kıbrıs Postası, Anadolu Ajansı, Cyprus Mail, AP, Turkish Ministry of Defense