Ankara: Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) Prime Minister Unal Ustel announced on Wednesday the deployment of an additional technically equipped vessel to aid in the search for those missing from a passenger ship that capsized off the coastal city of Girne (Kyrenia).

According to Anadolu Agency, the ongoing search operations to locate the missing passengers are being carried out without interruption. Prime Minister Ustel stated that the TCG Isin remains active in the search area, while the TCG Alemdar has returned to Trkiye for routine technical maintenance. The operations around the wreckage, located at a depth of 550 meters (1,804 feet), are utilizing remotely operated vehicles (ROVs). However, challenging sea conditions are hindering the efforts.

The TRNC government is maintaining constant contact and coordination with Turkish authorities. Following technical assessments, the decision was made to deploy another search and rescue vessel, equipped with deep-sea operational capabilities and specialized technical equipment. The newly dispatched vessel is scheduled to depart from Istanbul on Thursday and is expected to arrive at the accident site over the weekend or early next week.

The high-speed passenger vessel, which operated between Girne Port in the TRNC and Tasucu Port in Trkiye's Mersin province, tragically resulted in a death toll of 14. The vessel began taking on water shortly after departing Girne on August 30 and sank while attempting to return. Out of 267 passengers and crew members aboard, 239 were rescued. The wreckage was located at a depth of 554 meters (1,818 feet) off the coast of Girne.