2023-06-15 05:52:00
June 14, 2023
Updated June 15, 2023
image copyrightGetty Images
Caption,
Greece is one of the main entry routes for migrants to the European Union.
At least 78 migrants drowned at sea after a boat capsized off the coast of southern Greece.
Greek authorities and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) say hundreds of people may have been on board and only about 100 have been rescued alive.
It is the deadliest shipwreck of the year off the Greek coast.
It is not clear how many people were on the boat when it sank some 80km southwest of Pylos.
According to the Greek coast guard, the ship was located in international waters late on Tuesday by a plane from Frontex, the European Union’s border agency.
The passengers “refused to receive help” and none of them were wearing life jackets, according to the coast guard.
image copyrightHELLENIC COAST GUARD
Caption,
Image obtained by the Greek coast guard before the shipwreck.
But a few hours later, the boat capsized and sank.
Search and rescue
The wreck triggered a search and rescue operation that had to face complications due to strong winds.
On the boat, which was heading to Italy from Libya, most of the passengers were men in their 20s.
The Greek Migration Ministry told the AFP news agency that there were “hundreds” of people on board. “We fear that there are a large number of missing persons,” the official said.
“More lives may have been lost. Initial reports indicate up to 400 people were on board,” the IOM tweeted.
The nationalities of the victims have not yet been announced.
The survivors were transferred to the city of Kalamata to receive medical attention.
Some of them said there were between 500 and 700 people on board, and regional health director Yiannis Karvelis warned of an unprecedented tragedy: “The number of people on board was much higher than the capacity allowed on that ship.” .
image copyrightGetty Images
Caption,
The survivors have been cared for at a temporary shelter center in the city of Kalamata, Greece.
Greece is one of the main entry routes into the European Union (EU) for refugees and migrants from the Middle East, Asia and Africa.
Last month, the Greek government drew international criticism after a video surfaced allegedly forcibly removing migrants who had drifted at sea.
More than 70,000 refugees and migrants have arrived in Europe’s frontline countries this year, most of them in Italy, according to UN data.
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