At least 90 people have died and hundreds more are missing after a fishing boat carrying migrants capsized and sank off the southern coast of Greece – one of the worst such disasters this year. Many of the migrants were from Egypt, Syria, and Pakistan. The boat was traveling toward Italy from eastern Libya.
The ship sank in international waters, about 50 miles southwest of Pylos, off the Peloponnesian coast. The accident triggered an extensive rescue operation that was impeded by strong winds, although about 100 people were nevertheless rescued. Six Greek coastguard vessels, a navy frigate, a military transport and an air force helicopter, as well as several private ships, were taking part in the search for those missing.
Hundreds of passengers were on board when the boat went down. An aerial photograph of the battered blue ship released by the Greek coastguard showed a multitude of people covering almost every inch of deck.
The 90-foot vessel likely capsized after people abruptly moved to one side. “The outer deck was full of people and we presume the interior [of the vessel] would also have been full,” said a Greek coast guard official. “It looks as if there was a shift among the people who were crammed on board, and it capsized.”
Some estimate the boat had 700-750 people on board. Some may have been trapped in the hold. “We do not know what was in the hold … but we know that several smugglers lock people up to maintain control,” said a Greek government spokesman.
Four of the survivors were hospitalized in the Greek port of Kalamata after showing symptoms of hypothermia. Dozens of others were taken to sheltered areas in the city that were set up by the ambulance services and the United Nations Refugee Agency to receive dry clothes and medical attention.
None of those rescued had life jackets or life rafts. Greece’s interim prime minister, Ioannis Sarmas, declared three days of mourning, “with our thoughts on all the victims of the ruthless smugglers who exploit human unhappiness”.
The boat is believed to have begun its journey from the eastern Libyan city of Tobruk, where many boats filled with refugees and migrants sail from.
