Survivor alleges crew reassured passengers as water flooded vessel before abandoning ship themselves
Authorities have detained the ship’s captain and seven other crew members following a maritime disaster off the coast of occupied Kyrenia that left at least seven people dead.
Investigations are continuing into the circumstances surrounding the capsizing and sinking of the passenger vessel, operated by the Turkish company Filo Denizcilik.
The ship was travelling from the port of Kyrenia to the port of Taşucu when, roughly four nautical miles off Kyrenia, it began taking on water.
According to reports, passengers had already raised concerns with the crew that the vessel was flooding and that there was a serious problem on board. The captain is said to have grasped the severity of the situation only some time later, and attempted a sharp turn in a bid to return to Kyrenia. During the manoeuvre, the ship capsized and gradually began to sink.
The development comes as attention has also turned to allegations made by a survivor, who claims that crew members reassured passengers even as water poured into the vessel, before rushing to abandon ship ahead of those on board.
