31.08.2026 11:01
Eight people died and 18 went missing after a catamaran carrying 259 passengers and 8 crew capsized off the coast of Girne. Following the disaster, striking claims emerged that the ship had not undergone maintenance for 36 months, the captain was operating with someone else's license, and passengers who warned 'The ship is taking on water' were told 'Nothing will happen, we are used to it.'
It has emerged that a horrific chain of negligence lies behind the ferry disaster off the coast of Girne, which killed 8 people and left 18 others lost at sea. Claims that the ship was put to sea despite a storm warning, had not undergone maintenance for 36 months, and that the crew abandoned the ship before the passengers have sparked outrage.
CAPSIZED IN 20 MINUTES
The catamaran, carrying a total of 267 people—259 passengers and 8 crew members—began taking on water around 12:30 yesterday, approximately 7 kilometers off Girne Harbor. It was reported that control of the catamaran was lost while the captain was maneuvering to return to port. After the distress call, coast guard boats, helicopters, and civilian vessels were directed to the area. However, the catamaran capsized within about 20 minutes.
CAPTAIN AND 7 CREW MEMBERS ARRESTED
A judicial process was also initiated after the disaster. Prime Minister Ünal Üstel announced that the ship's captain and 7 personnel had been arrested. Stating that the cause of the accident would become clear as a result of the investigations, Üstel said, "Once the black box is revealed and opened, we will have access to clear information. The ship's captain and 7 personnel have been arrested. Every aspect of this incident will be investigated. Even the slightest negligence will be brought to light."
DID THE CAPTAIN SERVE WITH SOMEONE ELSE'S LICENSE?
One of the most striking claims regarding the disaster was about the ship's command and control. Captain Ercan Güneştutar, evaluating the accident, brought up a shocking allegation regarding the captain who was detained and arrested. According to the claim; the person operating the ship was serving with a captain's license belonging to someone else, and the person who actually held the authorized certificate had been presented as a passenger.
THEY DRAGGED THEM TO DEATH SAYING "NOTHING WILL HAPPEN"
Statements from survivors and expert assessments revealed that the ship continued its course despite taking on water. It was claimed that the captain and crew responded to passengers' warnings that "the ship is taking on water" with "Nothing will happen, we're used to it," and did not perform a return maneuver.
THE "INFAMOUS" SHIP THAT HAD NO MAINTENANCE FOR 36 MONTHS
It was also determined that the technical history of the catamaran-type passenger ship involved in the disaster was highly problematic. It was stated that the ship had previously been in an accident, had been subject to seizure, and had been kept in port for a long time. The ship, which is claimed to have undergone no maintenance or repair work for 36 months, is assessed to have sunk rapidly by taking on water due to a tear in the carrier tube on its port side. The fact that passengers did not mention any jolt in their statements strengthens the possibility that the ship did not hit rocks but took on water directly due to a structural crack in the fatigued hull.
LIFE RAFTS DID NOT DEPLOY, CREW ABANDONED SHIP
Massive deficiencies in emergency evacuation procedures also increased the scale of the disaster. It was determined that none of the ship's life raft systems, known as "life rafts," deployed or activated on the sea surface. It was claimed that the crew, who under normal circumstances should have coordinated the evacuation of passengers and been the last to leave the ship, fled the vessel before the passengers during the scramble for survival. How the ship's personnel obtained their emergency and rescue (STCW) certificates also constitutes one of the key points of the investigation.