The cause of the incident will become clear once the “black box” is recovered and analyzed, said Erhan Arıklı, Minister of Transport of the unrecognized Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.
ISTANBUL, August 30. /TASS/. The catamaran FiloJet, carrying 267 people, sank off the coast of Northern Cyprus at a depth of 514 meters. Analyzing the vessel’s flight data recorder (black box) will help establish the cause of the incident, stated Erhan Arıklı, Minister of Transport of the unrecognized Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC).
“The vessel, which capsized off the coast of the port of Kyrenia (Girne), sank at a depth of 514 meters. An investigation into the circumstances of the incident is underway; the cause will become clear once the black box is recovered and examined,” Arıklı said on the A Haber television channel.
He also reported that authorities are investigating the possibility that the catamaran collided with an object. “There are claims regarding a possible collision with a foreign object; these are being verified,” Arıklı noted.
TRNC President Tufan Erhürman had previously announced that an investigation into the maritime incident was being conducted.
According to the latest data, seven people died in the incident off Northern Cyprus, 237 were rescued and taken to hospitals, and the search for 23 others is ongoing.
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