Turkish Cypriot Leader Says Object Believed to Be Sunken Ferry Found at Depth of 550 Meters

The wreck of a ferry that capsized on Sunday north of Cyprus has possibly been found, according to Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhurman. At a press conference at the port of Girne, from where the ship departed, Erhurman said an object believed to be the sunken vessel was detected at a depth of 550 meters. He cautioned, however, that it is only assumed to be the ship, as reported by Cyprus Mail.

A Turkish naval vessel, equipped with a remotely operated underwater robot capable of capturing images of the seabed, arrived in the area today to search for the wreck. The specialized search-and-rescue ship can dive to depths of up to 1,000 meters and use robotic arms to recover objects. A second ship is expected to join tomorrow.

Authorities hope to find the ship's black box to determine what exactly happened that day. At least eight people died in the accident, and the first victims were buried today, including a 14-year-old girl and a 56-year-old man. The ferry carried 267 people, of whom 20 are still missing.

It remains unclear whether some of them are inside the sunken wreck. The ship departed from the port around noon on Sunday, heading for the Turkish coastal town of Tasucu.