A refugee boat capsized off the coast of Greece. The exact death toll is still unclear. Greek authorities officially confirmed the death toll at 78 on Wednesday evening, but they expect the number to rise dramatically.
“People were huddled together on the upper deck of the ship and we suspect the same for the interior,” a coast guard spokesman told state broadcaster ERT. Greek authorities did not know how many people were on board. Citing survivors of the crash – 104 have been rescued so far – the number of prisoners is estimated at 400.
The boat capsized and sank on Wednesday morning in international waters, 90 kilometers southwest of the Peloponnese peninsula. Earlier, the Coast Guard and smuggling cargo ships offered help to the people several times, but they refused. Instead, they said they wanted to continue to Italy, a Coast Guard spokesman said. Officials suspect panic on the plane to be the cause of the crash. The Coast Guard followed the contact and observed the sudden movement of the boat which caused it to capsize.
A massive search operation was launched soon after the accident. Coast Guard patrol boats, the Luftwaffe, a Navy frigate, six cargo ships and other ships in the area were involved. Water and air rescue operations are expected to continue Thursday night.
The three survivors of the crash are currently being questioned by Greek authorities. State broadcaster ERT reported that they were suspected of acting as smugglers. According to survivors, the boat left Tobruk, Libya.
Already on Tuesday, Italian authorities informed their Greek neighbors about a fully occupied fishing boat in the Greek search and rescue zone, the coast guard said. A Frontex plane found the boat southwest of the Peloponnese.
Every day, migrants travel from North Africa to Europe in very small boats. The film was taken by an NGO.
(Photo: Daniel Kubirski/Imago)
On Wednesday morning, south of Crete, a sailing boat occupied by migrants was involved in the disaster. Dozens of people were rescued there, officials said.
Accidents always occur during long-distance voyages from Turkey or North Africa, as the boats are old and unseaworthy. Also, there are usually no trained sailors on board for the perilous voyage. At least 326 people died in the region last year, according to the United Nations. However, the Coast Guard believes that many others who sailed into the Mediterranean did not survive.
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