The 18th victim of the Filo Jet ferry disaster has been identified as Ferdi Törer, as investigators examining the deadly sinking told a Girne court that the vessel’s watertight doors were not closed and earlier repairs had been deemed inadequate by experts.
DNA tests confirmed that a body recovered from the seabed around the wreck on Tuesday belonged to Ferdi Törer, who had been missing since Filo Jet sank shortly after leaving Girne for Taşucu on 30 August.
His identification takes the confirmed death toll to 18, with 10 people still missing. A total of 239 passengers and crew were rescued. Search operations around the wreck, lying more than 550 metres below the Mediterranean, are continuing.
Törer had travelled to Cyprus with his three children. His 14-year-old daughter Nisa Törer was among the original eight victims recovered following the sinking, while his two sons, Yusuf and Yunus, survived.
Court hears watertight doors were open
Nine suspects connected with the disaster appeared before Girne District Court for a sixth time on Friday, 2 October, where police presented further evidence from the continuing technical and criminal investigation.
The court ordered all nine — comprising a Filo Denizcilik company official, the captain, second captain, chief and second engineers and four crew members — to remain in police custody for a further seven days while investigators complete outstanding enquiries. They are being investigated over allegations of causing death through negligence and carelessness.
One of the most significant developments concerned watertight doors separating sections of the catamaran.
Police Deputy Inspector Mehmet Mannaş told the court that these doors should have remained closed while Filo Jet was sailing, but investigators had determined from statements that they were open.
Expert advice obtained by police suggested that, had the doors been closed, the spread of water between compartments could have been restricted, potentially delaying the vessel listing and giving passengers more time to evacuate. Technical work is continuing to determine how much the open doors contributed to the sinking and loss of life.
Responsibility for the watertight doors is among the matters investigators are examining, with the captain, chief engineer and second engineer identified in court as having particular responsibility for them.
Experts question earlier repair
The court also heard findings from a technical examination of photographs, vessel plans and recovered parts of Filo Jet.
A mechanical engineer and fluid mechanics specialist concluded that an earlier repair to the vessel was inadequate, with the work described in the report as superficial and of unacceptable quality.
Investigators were told that because the damaged section was made from fibre material, an existing crack could potentially have spread internally and developed into more serious structural damage.
Police are now investigating whether there was a connection between that earlier damage and Filo Jet’s eventual sinking.
The defence has challenged aspects of the expert assessment, including whether the specialists who prepared it had the appropriate marine-engineering expertise, and maintains that any link between the earlier damage and the sinking needs to be established through definitive technical evidence.
Police also told the court that there was evidence the second captain had raised concerns about damage with company officials, although differing accounts remain over exactly who knew what and when.
Black box data under examination
The vessel’s recovered Voyage Data Recorder (VDR), or “black box”, is now also playing a central role in the investigation.
The court heard that data from the device has been extracted in Türkiye and handed to investigators. The VDR contains approximately two months of material, including bridge conversations, radio traffic, navigational data, ambient sounds and technical fault records.
Voice samples have been taken from suspects so investigators can establish who is speaking in relevant recordings from Filo Jet’s final voyage.
Investigators continue to examine how the documented damage to the vessel occurred.
No definitive cause of the Filo Jet disaster has yet been established. The criminal inquiry, technical examinations, VDR analysis and search for the 10 people still missing are continuing.
