Filo Jet Catamaran Sinks Off Girne, Killing 8 and Leaving 18 Missing

September 2, 2026 at 01:43 AM2 min

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The Filo Jet catamaran capsized off Girne, Northern Cyprus, killing eight passengers and leaving 18 missing, including two children from Hatay. The vessel had a history of damage and repairs before the sinking. Search operations continue for the missing passengers.

Key Facts

Eight passengers died and 18 are missing after the Filo Jet catamaran capsized off Girne, Northern Cyprus.
The missing include 11-year-old Saliha Miray and 6-year-old Mehmet Asaf from Hatay, Turkey.
The vessel was built in France in 2000 and later suffered a collision with a pier in Taşucu, Mersin, causing heavy damage.
Ship engineer Muzaffer Erdal Kılıç stated that the company chose a cheaper repair method against his advice.

The Sinking

The Filo Jet catamaran capsized off Girne, Northern Cyprus, on August 30, 2026. Eight passengers were killed and 18 remain missing, including two children from Hatay, Turkey. The vessel was carrying passengers from Hatay to Northern Cyprus for a holiday. Search operations are ongoing in the Mediterranean Sea and around the wreck site at a depth of 550 meters.

Vessel History

The Filo Jet was built in France in 2000 and originally named IRIS Jet. It operated in Spain's Balearic Islands before being sold to a Turkish company. In 2003, the vessel collided with a pier in Taşucu, Mersin, during a storm and sustained heavy damage. Despite the damage, the vessel continued service until water ingress forced its suspension a month later. The vessel was abandoned in Taşucu port and underwent seizures, executions, and sales until 2015.

Repair Controversy

Ship engineer Muzaffer Erdal Kılıç was invited in 2016 to repair the vessel's composite hull in Antalya Free Zone. Kılıç proposed a vacuum infusion method compliant with RINA rules, but the company opted for a cheaper manual lay-up method. Kılıç stated that he verbally warned the company that a superficial repair could lead to serious hull failure and sinking. According to Kılıç, there is no documentation showing that RINA approved the manual repair.