Greek migrants: Hundreds fear losing them as a boat sinks

[ad_1]

June 14, 2023, at 11:12 GMT

Updated 46 minutes ago

Image source, Greek Coast Guard

photo caption,

The Greek coast guard posted pictures of the crowded boat before it fell

At least 79 people have been killed and more than 100 rescued after their fishing boat capsized off the coast of southern Greece.

But Greek officials and the International Organization for Migration say hundreds more migrants may have been on board.

The shipwreck is the deadliest off Greece this year.

The boat came down about 50 miles (80 km) southwest of Pylos, after the coast guard said it refused to help.

The coast guard said a plane from the European border agency Frontex spotted the boat in international waters late on Tuesday. She added that no one on the plane was wearing life jackets.

A few hours later, the boat capsized and sank, prompting a search and rescue operation, which was then complicated by high winds.

Alert Phone, an emergency helpline for migrants in trouble at sea, said people may have been afraid to meet Greek authorities because they were aware of the country’s “appalling and systematic pushback practices”.

The alarm phone also said the Greek coast guard was “aware that the ship was in distress for hours before any help was dispatched,” adding that authorities were “informed by various sources” that the boat was in trouble.

The boat was reportedly on its way to Italy from Libya, and most of those on board are believed to be men in their 20s.

Survivors spoke of as many as 500 to 700 people on board and the regional director of health Yannis Karvelis warned of an unprecedented tragedy: “The number of people on board was much more than the capacity that should be allowed for this boat.”

Coastguard Nikolaos Alexiou told public television that his colleagues saw people crowded on deck and that the boat sank in one of the deepest parts of the Mediterranean.

Image copyright MENELAOS MYRILLAS / VIA AFP

photo caption,

The survivors were taken to a hospital or to a warehouse in Kalamata that was being used as a temporary shelter

The nationalities of the victims have not yet been announced. The survivors were taken to the city of Kalamata, and many of them were treated in hospital for hypothermia or minor injuries.

Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou visited some of the rescued and expressed her condolences to those who drowned.

The sinking occurred before the Greek elections on June 25 and political leaders suspended their campaign. An election debate is scheduled for Thursday evening.

Greece is one of the main routes into the European Union for refugees and migrants from the Middle East, Asia and Africa.

Last month, the Greek government came under international criticism over a video that was said to show the forced expulsion of migrants who had been swept out to sea.

More than 70,000 refugees and migrants have arrived in frontline countries in Europe this year, most of them in Italy, according to United Nations data.

[ad_2]