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Watertight doors that were supposed to remain shut while a passenger vessel was underway were left open before the deadly Filo Jet disaster off Girne, according to evidence presented to a court investigating the Aug. 30 sinking that killed 18 people.
The revelation has emerged as investigators look into a series of technical and operational issues surrounding the vessel, including repairs described as inadequate, the handling of watertight compartments and whether failures on board reduced the time available for passengers to get out.
Nine suspects detained as part of the investigation appeared before Girne District Court for a sixth time on Friday, with the court extending their detention for another seven days while technical examinations and evidence gathering continue.
According to statements presented in court, some watertight doors that should have remained closed during the voyage had been left open.
Experts told investigators that keeping the doors shut could have slowed the spread of water through the vessel, potentially delaying its list to the left and giving passengers more time to evacuate.
Police told the court that the captain and relevant engine-room personnel responsibility for keeping the watertight doors closed.
An examination of the vessel's plans found that it had seven compartments, with watertight passages separating some areas.
Bilge pumps were available to remove water, although investigators said the vessel did not have a system allowing those pumps to start automatically.
The court was also briefed on previous repair work carried out on the vessel, which technical experts described as superficial and inadequate.
The assessment characterized the work as "unacceptable," while engineers warned that a crack in the vessel's fiber structure could spread internally and seriously affect its safety.
Police also said a witness statement indicated that the captain had seen repairs being carried out by crew members but had not reported the situation to company officials.
Investigators are also going through the vessel's Voyage Data Recorder, or VDR, a maritime recording system often compared with an aircraft's black box because it stores navigation and bridge information.
The VDR was recovered on Sept. 25 and taken to Türkiye under police supervision on Sept. 30, where its data were transferred to a USB drive. The device and recordings were returned to Turkish Cyprus on Oct. 1, and a detailed examination is continuing.
Police said the recorder may contain information including the vessel's speed and course, conversations on the bridge, radio communications, malfunction records and roughly two months of audio data.
Investigators have also collected voice samples from suspects to compare with the recordings.
Questions about the rescue operation were also raised at the hearing.
A defense lawyer claimed that a man named Suleyman entered the vessel during the emergency and brought out two people, arguing that investigators should also examine when rescue efforts began and how they were carried out.
Prosecutors objected to some of the questioning on the grounds that it went beyond the scope of the ongoing investigation, while the court said questioning should remain within the boundaries of the current inquiry.
Police added that they are still awaiting technical reports and information from Türkiye, while work involving people, documents and records there is continuing.
Relatives of those killed and those still missing gathered outside Girne District Court before the hearing, carrying photographs of their family members and joining activists calling attention to the case.
Authorities said there were 259 passengers and eight crew members on board at the time of the disaster. A total of 239 people were rescued and 18 bodies were recovered.
Search operations around the wreck are continuing for 10 people who remain missing.
The court extended the detention of the nine suspects for another seven days after finding that the VDR analysis, technical examinations, witness statements and outstanding reports had not yet been completed.
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