Occupation authorities have revised the passenger figures from the shipwreck off Kyrenia after confirming that two people initially believed to have been rescued remain unaccounted for. Search and rescue operations are continuing around the clock, Kıbrıs Postası reported.
The names of the eight people confirmed dead have also been released. “Prime Minister” Ünal Üstel said the searches were being conducted by sea and air with support from Turkey and the involvement of all relevant “services”.
Two more people added to missing list
According to Kıbrıs Postası, “police” inquiries, witness statements, passenger data checks and confirmations obtained from people connected to the case led to a reassessment of the information collected immediately after the incident.
Üstel said detailed checks established that two people initially recorded as having been rescued were, in fact, missing.
The updated figures show that 239 people were rescued alive, eight died and 20 remain missing.
Eight victims identified
Üstel said all eight victims identified so far were Turkish citizens:
- Nihat Baliyemez
- Hüseyin Özdemir
- Nuray Zeytun
- Fahri Ateş
- Gülcan Gürel
- Reyhan Verim
- Nisa Törer
- Nurcan Hilaloğlu
The 20 people still missing
Kıbrıs Postası also published the names of the 20 people for whom search and rescue operations are continuing:
- Ferdi Törer (Turkey)
- Mustafa Demir (Turkey)
- Mahmut Demir (Turkey)
- Özgür Gönül (Turkey)
- Ani Azel Hilaloğlu (Turkey)
- Şerif Özdemir (Turkey)
- Süleyman Erdoğan (“TRNC”)
- Saliha Miray Biçer (Turkey)
- Mehmet Asaf Biçer (Turkey)
- Orhan Bekret (Turkey)
- Nazmiye Özbolat (Turkey)
- Elmas Demir (Turkey)
- İsmail Kurt (“TRNC”)
- Yulia Özcan (Turkey)
- Ayhan Özcan (Turkey)
- Elife Bayır (Turkey)
- Nihat Pancar (Turkey)
- Mustafa Kemal Yaralı (Turkey)
- Mehmet Bayhan (Turkey)
- Mehmet Nuri Ayran (Turkey)
Search for missing remains the priority
Üstel said locating the 20 missing people was the authorities’ immediate priority, adding that all available resources had been mobilised and operations were continuing around the clock.
“We remain hopeful and expect good news from the intensive efforts of the teams,” he said.
“Our prayers are with those who are missing, our citizens who lost their lives and their families who are still waiting in hope for good news,” he added.
