The captain of the doomed ferry to Cyprus has been photographed after his identity was revealed by a senior Turkish Cypriot official.
At least eight people were killed and 20 remain missing after the Filo Jet, with 267 passengers and crew on board, sank off the coast of Girne on Sunday. Survivors claimed that the captain had abandoned the ship when it capsized.
Mustafa Oz, 66, was named as the ship’s captain as crew members and company officials were brought before a judge Monday over the disaster.
They are among 16 people facing arrest warrants as police conduct an extensive investigation into the sinking on suspicion of negligent homicide.
Turkish Cypriot Transport Minister Erhan Arikli released documents naming Oz as the ship’s captain, saying he was ready to resign if necessary due to the disaster.
The ship’s captain and crew, company officials and port authorities are all under close watch. The police are said to have taken statements from more than a hundred people and are examining images from before and after the disaster.
Crew members reportedly told investigators that the “bow section of the ferry had broken off.” Technical investigations are now being carried out to determine what exactly caused the ship to sink.
Investigators are also examining the ship’s technical condition before it sailed and its navigation and safety permits, although initial information suggests it had the necessary approvals.
Mustafa Oz was named as the ship’s captain as crew members and company officials were brought to trial Monday over the disaster
Terrifying footage shows passengers desperately trying to escape from the depths of a sinking ferry off the coast of Northern Cyprus after it was battered by waves
The double-hulled ferry, carrying 267 people, took on water and overturned near the port town of Kyrenia on Sunday, leaving survivors clinging to the overturned hull.
Rescuers in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, recognized only by Ankara, brought 239 people to safety, but eight others were killed “and the search continues for 20 people,” Prime Minister Unal Ustel said.
Survivors claim the captain ignored warnings that the ferry was taking on water before abandoning the ship when it capsized.
The captain, seven crew members and a shareholder in the company that operates the ferry were arrested and appeared in court on Monday.
Terrifying images from inside the stricken ship show passengers rushing to escape deep inside the sinking ferry after it was battered by waves, as terrified screams and screams echoed around them.
At one point, a man is seen sitting on the side of the sharply tilted ferry with a phone pressed to his ear, appearing to shout for help as others clamber around him.
Other harrowing footage captures the aftermath outside, where survivors float alongside the partially submerged ferry in the choppy sea.
Some cling to each other in the water, while others try to pull people out of the ship. Further footage shows a rescue helicopter hovering above us.
Since then, harrowing stories of the passengers’ travails have come to light.
Ayten Bicer told how she felt her twelve-year-old daughter slip from her hands and disappear on Sunday when a ferry capsized.
Her daughter Miray and six-year-old son Mehmet Asaf were among 20 people still missing Monday as search teams searched waters more than 500 meters deep.
“She said, ‘Don’t let go.’ And I didn’t let go of my daughter. I swear, I didn’t let her go,” Mrs. Bicer sobbed.
Crew members arrive at the court today, accompanied by security
The ship’s captain and crew, company officials and port authorities are all under scrutiny
A rescue mission continued late into the night after a ferry with 267 passengers on board capsized shortly after leaving the coast of northern Cyprus on Sunday.
Some cling to each other in the water, while others try to pull others out of the ship
A suitcase fell on top of her, forcing the girl from her grasp. The mother grabbed the daughter’s foot, but her shoes, covered in motor oil from the overturned ship, slipped through her hands.
The double-hulled ferry carrying 267 took on water and overturned off the port town of Kyrenia, leaving survivors clinging to the overturned hull. They were rescued by passing ships and coast guard authorities.
According to separate reports, the wide-hulled ship shook violently before slamming into the sea surface, with part of the bow splitting open on impact. Cyprus was hit by heavy storms on Saturday and the sea was still rough on Sunday.
Debris remained scattered across the water Monday, including a black suitcase on wheels bobbing on the surface and a steel plate that appeared to have broken off the ferry.
The boat was hit by one wave before a second hit occurred as the captain tried to regain control, causing the ferry to take on water, Mr Ustel said.
The private ferry was originally scheduled to leave for Turkey on Saturday, but the trip was postponed due to poor weather conditions, Ustel said.
Naif Ezer, one of those who waited anxiously at the port in the early hours of Monday for news of passengers, said: “We have been waiting since the morning, for twelve hours or maybe more.”
Of the three friends who traveled home to see their families, one had been found, but the other two were still missing, he added.
Other harrowing footage captures the aftermath outside, where survivors are seen floating in the choppy seas alongside the partially submerged ferry
Some of those waiting sat quietly crying, while others scrolled through their cell phones for updates.
It was unclear whether any people were trapped in the ship, which has now sunk and lies on the seabed at a depth of more than 500 meters (1,640 feet).
Divers from Turkey assisted in the search, officials said.
Officials gave varying estimates of the number of people still missing, with some saying 19 and others 18.
The ship’s captain and seven crew members were being held as part of an investigation into “how this tragedy occurred,” Ustel said.
Authorities are also trying to retrieve the ferry’s black box recorder to determine what happened.
Shortly after the doomed ship left Kyrenia around noon on Sunday, passengers realized there was a problem.
They had discovered that the boat was taking on water and alerted the captain and crew to return to port.
Unfazed by their concerns, the ferry continued its journey towards the Turkish port of Tasucu.
Fearing for their safety as the boat headed out to sea during a storm, the terrified passengers rushed to find life jackets but realized they were in short supply.
Passengers try to pull out people still trapped in the ship
They heard an explosion from the bow of the ship and the ship began to capsize, leading to an exodus of passengers who frantically jumped into the sea to escape, many without any buoyancy aids.
According to survivors, one of the first to leave the ship was the captain himself, who was arrested later on Sunday along with seven of his crew.
One rescued passenger said he spent an hour and a half in the water before being rescued.
The man, in his 50s and not named, told local television in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus that the front of the boat “exploded” and the side windows “blew out” as the boat took on more and more water.
“Those who could, got off,” he said, adding that he saw the captain as one of the first to leave the ship “without organizing anything.”
Several rescued passengers told local media that an explosion went off at the bow before it capsized.
Another witness, in his 30s, confirmed reports of an explosion. He said he reported water leaks to the captain.
“The seats started floating, the captain kept going and the bow exploded,” he said.
