- george wright and laura gozzi
- BBC News
image source,Hellenic Coast Guard
Greek authorities release footage of fishing boat before it capsizes
A fishing boat carrying refugees capsized and sank off the coast of southern Greece, killing at least 79 people and leaving hundreds missing.
But survivors and Greek officials say more than 100 people have been rescued.
Authorities declared three days of national mourning in one of Greece’s worst migrant tragedies.
The fishing boat sank about 80 kilometers southwest of Pylos, and the Coast Guard had previously said it had refused to be rescued.
The coastguard said a Frontex aircraft spotted the boat in international waters on Tuesday night, with no one on board wearing lifejackets.
Citing a timetable provided by the shipping sector, Greek state broadcaster ERT reported that authorities had repeatedly contacted the ship by satellite phone to offer help, but the fishing boat repeatedly said: “We just want to continue to Italy”.
Hours later, at 01:40 local time (23:40 GMT) on Wednesday, someone on board is said to have informed the Greek coastguard that the fishing boat’s engine had failed.
The boat capsized shortly afterwards and sank completely in just 10 to 15 minutes. Authorities launched a search and rescue operation, but it was complicated by strong winds.
Alarm Phone, a refugee support line, said the Coast Guard “knew the boat was in distress for hours before sending any help,” adding that authorities “learned from different sources” that there was a problem with the fishing boat.
The group added that migrants on board may be afraid to face Greek authorities because they know the country “has a horrific system for dealing with refugees”.
severe overload
image source,Getty Images
shelter survivors
Most of the people on board the fishing boat, believed to be traveling from Libya to Italy, are believed to be men in their 20s.
They had been sailing for several days, with reports that a Maltese cargo ship delivering food and water had approached the ship on Tuesday afternoon, according to local media.
Survivors said that there were as many as 500 to 700 people on board, and a local health department official, Yiannis Karvelis, said that this was an unprecedented tragedy, “The number of people on board far exceeded the capacity. “
Coast Guard Captain Nikolaos Alexiou told public television that his colleagues saw people crowding on deck as the ship sank in one of the deepest places in the Mediterranean.
Authorities have not released the nationalities of the victims. Survivors were taken to the town of Kalamata, many in hospital with hypothermia or minor injuries.
Greek state broadcaster ERT reported that three people suspected of being human traffickers were taken to the central port authority in Kalamata for questioning.
Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou visited some of the survivors and expressed grief for the dead.
Survivors need hospital treatment
Hundreds of people die each year trying to cross the Mediterranean. In February, a boat carrying migrants capsized near Cutro in southern Italy’s Calabria region, killing at least 94 people in one of the deadliest incidents on record.
Greek immigration official Yiorgos Michaelidis (Yiorgos Michaelidis) accepted the BBC program World Tonight (World Tonight) interview, saying that Greece has repeatedly said that the EU needs to come up with a “baby” immigration policy, “in order to Accept those who really need it, not just those who have the money to pay the smuggling fee.”
“Now it’s people smugglers who decide who comes to Europe,” he said.
“It’s up to the EU to provide asylum, help and security to those who really need it. It’s not a question of Greece, Italy or Cyprus … the EU is the one that has to agree on a solid immigration policy.”
Greece is one of the main gateways for refugees and migrants from the Middle East, Asia and Africa to enter the EU.
Last month, a video showing the Greek government forcibly deporting migrants adrift at sea drew international criticism.
More than 70,000 refugees and migrants have arrived in Europe’s front-line countries this year, with most landing in Italy, United Nations figures show.
Migrant workers in Europe struggling to get paid