North Cypriot leader says 2 more bodies were recovered from ferry wreckage

ISTANBUL (AP) — The remains of two more people have been recovered from the wreck of a passenger ferry that sank off the coast of Cyprus, the leader of the island’s northern territory said Friday.

The findings bring the total confirmed deaths to 12, with 16 people still missing, Prime Minister Unal Ustel said in comments reported by the Cypriot newspaper Kibris.

The Filo Jet was carrying 267 passengers and crew when it capsized and sank after leaving Kyrenia, a port in northern Cyprus, for Tasucu, Turkey, on Sunday afternoon.

Two Turkish navy search and rescue vessels joined the search, carrying submersible vessels able to reach the ferry wreckage some 550 meters (1,804 feet) below the surface.

Speaking to reporters at Kyrenia, known as Girne in Turkish, Ustel said the remains belonged to two women. The bodies of a man and a woman were recovered earlier.

“Our search operations to reach our 16 missing people continue uninterruptedly on a 24/7 basis with the strong support of the Republic of Turkey and the participation of all relevant units. They are carrying out these operations under very difficult conditions,” Ustel added.

The search operation is being conducted about 7 1/2 kilometers (4 1/2 miles) off the northern Cypriot coast.

Survivors have said the ferry, a wide-bodied catamaran, began listing and taking on water after they heard a number of loud noises from below the decks, sparking panic on board. They said people were trapped inside the passenger seating area as water gushed in and the ship lurched onto its side.

Eight crew and a director of the ferry’s owner, Filo Denizcilik, are in custody. Five others, including Filo Denizcilik staff and port officials, are also under investigation.

Cyprus was split along ethnic lines in 1974, and Turkish Cypriots declared independence in 1983. Only Turkey recognizes the north of the island, where it maintains more than 35,000 troops.