- Tragic boat sinking claims lives of migrants
- Greece as a primary entry point for migrants
- Uncertainty and rescue efforts in the aftermath
At least 79 migrants suffocated early Wednesday morning, and hundreds more are presumed dead or missing after their overloaded boat capsized and sank in open seas off the coast of Greece, marking one of Europe’s deadliest maritime disasters.
As the search for survivors proceeded, a European rescue support charity estimated that approximately 750 people were on board the 20- to 30-meter-long vessel, whereas the United Nations (UN) migration agency estimated that as few as 400 individuals were on board.
Authorities in Greece stated that it was premature to speculate on the total number.
Greece is a major EU entry point for Middle Eastern, Asian, and African refugees and migrants. The majority cross into Greek islands from neighboring Turkey.
However, since the previous conservative government of Kyriakos Mitsotakis implemented stricter surveillance at the country’s migrant camps, an increasing number of migrants have chosen to travel from Turkey to Italy via Greece, which is a lengthier and more perilous route.
The warship that sank left Tobruk, Libya, south of Crete, for Italy, according to ERT. The Greek government did not corroborate the ship’s departure port.
Alarm Phone, which administers a trans-European network supporting rescue operations, reported receiving alerts from people on board a ship in distress off the coast of Greece late Tuesday night, but then losing contact with the vessel.
“According to the passengers, there were 750 on board… We are now hearing reports of a catastrophe and fear that they are accurate,” the company tweeted.
By lunchtime, 104 individuals had been rescued by Greek authorities, who were still unsure of the ship’s passenger count.
“It is unsafe to provide a phone number. “We do not know how many people were in the hold,” Nikos Alexiou, a spokesperson for the Greek coast guard, told MEGA TV. “There were too many passengers on the ship’s exterior deck. It was packed.”
The coast guard stated that the boat’s occupants declined assistance hours before the vessel capsized and continued their voyage.
The catastrophe is the deadliest this year off the coast of Greece and one of the worst in Europe. During a February storm, 96 people died when their wooden boat smashed into rocks in Calabria, Italy.
The Greek migration ministry blamed international smuggling networks for endangering the lives of migrants, whereas Filippo Grandi, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, urged governments to collaborate to create safe routes for people fleeing poverty and conflict.
