Hundreds of migrants still missing after boat capsizes in Greek waters

Hundreds of migrants are still missing after Greek authorities failed to locate any more bodies or survivors from the ship that sank in one of the deadliest accidents in the Mediterranean.

Authorities on Thursday revised the death toll from 79 to 78 and said 104 people had been rescued after a Libyan fishing boat capsized southwest of the Peloponnese peninsula on Wednesday. Some 400 people were aboard, with survivors estimating that as many as 100 children were in the hold of the ship.

Greece’s coast guard, navy and merchant ships and aircraft have launched an extensive search and rescue operation that will “continue in the coming days”, a maritime affairs ministry official said on Thursday.

The tragedy has underlined the need for concrete measures to help prevent migrants from attempting the dangerous boat crossing from North Africa and other regions. The UN’s International Organization for Migration said countries should take “comprehensive action”. , , To save lives at sea and reduce hazardous travel by expanding safe and regular routes for migration”.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said she was “deeply concerned by the number of missing people”, adding that “we must continue to work together with member states and third countries to prevent such tragedies”. “.

Greece, which has a caretaker administration ahead of legislative elections in June, declared three days of mourning, with politicians saying they would suspend campaigning.

The centre-right government of Kyriakos Mitsotakis was criticized by rights groups for taking a heavy-handed approach to migration, including turning travelers away from ports before they can apply for asylum.

Athens was informed by Italian authorities that the ship was traveling close to the Greek mainland on Tuesday afternoon. An aircraft from Frontex, the EU border and coast guard agency, detected the boat shortly before 10am.

Following a warning from Italian authorities, two container ships near the vessel immediately went to the scene offering assistance and supplies. But the crew of the fishing vessel, which was about 25-30 meters long, refused offers of assistance, according to Greek officials, who said the crew wanted to continue sailing to Italy, their intended destination. Want to

“(On Tuesday) afternoon, a merchant vessel approached the ship and provided it with food and supplies, while they declined to offer any further assistance,” said Nikos Alexios, a spokesman for the Greek coastguard. He said that a second merchant vessel approached the ship. Its crew’s offer of assistance was turned down.

A Greek coastguard vessel reported that the ship’s deck was “full of people”, Alexiou said, adding that it remained in the area as a precaution. Survivors said that the boat capsized after the passengers suddenly moved to one side.

More than 100 of the survivors were transferred to hospitals and aid centers in the city of Kalamata on the Peloponnese peninsula. Authorities on Thursday moved the bodies of the dead to a morgue near Athens and took DNA samples to begin the process of identifying the victims.

Hundreds of migrants are still missing after Greek authorities failed to locate any more bodies or survivors from the ship that sank in one of the deadliest accidents in the Mediterranean.

Authorities on Thursday revised the death toll from 79 to 78 and said 104 people had been rescued after a Libyan fishing boat capsized southwest of the Peloponnese peninsula on Wednesday. Some 400 people were aboard, with survivors estimating that as many as 100 children were in the hold of the ship.

Greece’s coast guard, navy and merchant ships and aircraft have launched an extensive search and rescue operation that will “continue in the coming days”, a maritime affairs ministry official said on Thursday.

The tragedy has underlined the need for concrete measures to help prevent migrants from attempting the dangerous boat crossing from North Africa and other regions. The UN’s International Organization for Migration said countries should take “comprehensive action”. , , To save lives at sea and reduce hazardous travel by expanding safe and regular routes for migration”.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said she was “deeply concerned by the number of missing people”, adding that “we must continue to work together with member states and third countries to prevent such tragedies”. “.

Greece, which has a caretaker administration ahead of legislative elections in June, declared three days of mourning, with politicians saying they would suspend campaigning.

The centre-right government of Kyriakos Mitsotakis was criticized by rights groups for taking a heavy-handed approach to migration, including turning travelers away from ports before they can apply for asylum.

Athens was informed by Italian authorities that the ship was traveling close to the Greek mainland on Tuesday afternoon. An aircraft from Frontex, the EU border and coast guard agency, detected the boat shortly before 10am.

Following a warning from Italian authorities, two container ships near the vessel immediately went to the scene offering assistance and supplies. But the crew of the fishing vessel, which was about 25-30 meters long, refused offers of assistance, according to Greek officials, who said the crew wanted to continue sailing to Italy, their intended destination. Want to

“(On Tuesday) afternoon, a merchant vessel approached the ship and provided it with food and supplies, while they declined to offer any further assistance,” said Nikos Alexios, a spokesman for the Greek coastguard. He said that a second merchant vessel approached the ship. Its crew’s offer of assistance was turned down.

A Greek coastguard vessel reported that the ship’s deck was “full of people”, Alexiou said, adding that it remained in the area as a precaution. Survivors said that the boat capsized after the passengers suddenly moved to one side.

More than 100 of the survivors were transferred to hospitals and aid centers in the city of Kalamata on the Peloponnese peninsula. Authorities on Thursday moved the bodies of the dead to a morgue near Athens and took DNA samples to begin the process of identifying the victims.