The death toll from last week’s ferry disaster off Cyprus rose to 13 today after rescuers recovered another body, while 15 passengers are still unaccounted for, officials said.
The FiloJet ferry was carrying 267 people when it overturned shortly after leaving the port of Kyrenia, on the northern coast of the divided island, around midday on Sunday.
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Search and rescue teams have worked continuously since the accident, scouring the waters for survivors and those still missing.
Authorities in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) said the latest recovery brought the confirmed number of fatalities to 13. The breakaway state is recognised only by Ankara.
Officials said the ferry’s wreck had been found 554 metres below the surface off Kyrenia.
Cyprus has remained divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded and occupied the island’s northern third after an Athens-backed Greek Cypriot coup aimed at uniting Cyprus with Greece.
The island is now split between the TRNC, which declared independence in 1983 and is recognised only by Turkey, and the EU member Republic of Cyprus in the south.
The TRNC maintains regular air and maritime connections with Turkey.
Read more: Ferry captain appears in court in northern Cyprus as rescue operations continue
