The Filo Jet ferry capsized and sank off the coast of Northern Cyprus on August 30 while transporting hundreds of passengers across the Mediterranean Sea toward Turkey.
The vessel began going under water approximately two kilometres from the coastline of Girne. Passengers put on life jackets and tried to hold on to the deck of the tilting ship as it listed, with several individuals falling into the sea during the incident.
Initial footage of the sinking appeared online after being published by the Telegram channel Shot. The video recording showed the vessel listing heavily to one side and partially going under water. A second clip released by the Telegram channel Baza showed passengers onboard, including Russian speakers, wearing life vests and attempting to hold on to the vessel while others were already in the water.
Destination and regional ferry connections
The vessel was travelling from Northern Cyprus toward the Turkish port of Tasucu when it began taking on water. Tasucu, a coastal harbour town located in the Silifke district of Mersin Province in southern Turkey, serves as one of the primary commercial and passenger ferry terminals linking mainland Turkey to the island of Cyprus.
The port of origin, Girne, also known historically as Kyrenia, is a major coastal city and commercial harbour situated on the northern shore of Cyprus. The sea passage between Girne and Tasucu spans the Cilician Sea, forming a heavily travelled maritime corridor for passenger transport, tourism, and regional commerce.
Circulation of eyewitness video clips
Shot and Baza are widely monitored Russian-language channels on the Telegram messaging platform that frequently publish user-contributed video recordings and breaking news reports. The newly surfaced video recordings captured the moment the Filo Jet overturned, leaving hundreds of passengers in the sea off the Cypriot coast.
