Death toll in Cyprus ferry disaster rises to 13

Rescuers recovered another body today from a ferry disaster off Cyprus last week, raising the death toll to 13, while 15 people remain missing, officials said.

The FiloJet ferry was carrying 267 people when it capsized shortly after departing from the port of Kyrenia on the northern coast of the divided island around midday on Sunday.

Round-the-clock search and rescue operations have continued since the accident.

The latest recovery brought the number of confirmed deaths to 13, according to authorities in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), a breakaway state recognised only by Ankara.

“With the recovery of another body, the number of people who lost their lives in the accident has risen to 13, while the number of missing persons is now 15,” TRNC Prime Minister Unal Ustel said.

Authorities said the wreck of the ferry had been located at a depth of 554 metres off Kyrenia.

Cyprus has been split since 1974, when Turkey invaded and occupied the northern third of the island in response to an Athens-engineered Greek Cypriot coup seeking unification with Greece.

Today the island comprises the TRNC, which declared independence in 1983 but is only recognised by Ankara, and the EU member Republic of Cyprus in the south.

The TRNC is served by regular air and sea links to Turkey.