At least 79 people drowned when a fishing boat carrying migrants capsized off Pylos, in southern Greece early on Wednesday.
A large search and rescue operation has been launched. At least 104 people were saved by the Greek Coast Guard following the nighttime incident that occurred some 75 kilometers (46 miles) southwest of Greece’s southern Peloponnese region.
Authorities fear that the number of casualties will rise, as it is believed that as many as 500 people were on the boat.
Greece’s coastguard said the boat was spotted in international waters late on Tuesday by an aircraft belonging to EU border agency Frontex.
The coastguard said that the passengers “refused any help”. But just a few hours later, the boat capsized and sank, triggering a search and rescue operation, which was then complicated by strong winds.
Those rescued are being transported by a nearby ship to Kalamata, where their reception has been organized in cooperation with the General Secretariat of Civil Protection, the Greek Coast Guard said in a statement.
The survivors of the #shipwreck that were picked up by the Mayan Queen IV yacht have disembarked at the port of #Kalamata. Unconfirmed reports that the number of victims has risen to 80. #Greece pic.twitter.com/hQhAapBssI
— Daphne Tolis (@daphnetoli) June 14, 2023
Four people have been transported by a helicopter of the Air Force to Kalamata, where they were picked up by ambulances and transferred to the General Hospital of Kalamata.
The statement adds that “none of the rescued people had life-saving equipment (life jacket). So far from the extensive investigations, 79 bodies have been retrieved.”
Six coast guard vessels, a navy frigate, a military transport and an air force helicopter were taking part in the search for others believed to be missing.
Είδαν αυτό κ το άφησαν στην τύχη του;;; pic.twitter.com/W5LIgI6rco
— Πεν Νταλαούρα (@ntalaoura) June 14, 2023
Migrants take longer routes to avoid Greece
The Italy-bound boat is believed to have sailed from the Tobruk area in eastern Libya.
Smugglers are increasingly taking larger boats into international waters off the Greek mainland to try to avoid local coast guard patrols.
No longer being able to easily reach the Greek isles, migrants choose to head towards Southern Italy, navigating around continental Greece and Crete.
Greek authorities have repelled unprecedented numbers of people attempting to cross, a practice known as “pushbacks.”
Last month a New York Times (NYT) investigation claimed that Greece has abandoned migrants at sea in the latest scathing report by a major news organization regarding migrant pushbacks.
The footage, taken by an Austrian activist on Lesvos , was brought to light by the NYT, which published the material, after being “verified and corroborated” by the US outlet.
The Greek government has consistently denied the practice, known as pushbacks.
It is illegal under domestic, EU, and international law to deny migrants seeking asylum at the border. Despite this, numerous organizations have assembled proof that expulsions are a regular occurrence.
A large number of European media outlets, including Der Spiegel, Lighthouse Reports, and the French daily Libération have claimed that special units of the Hellenic Coast Guard were involved in turning migrants around at sea.
The United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) has called on Greece to stop pushing back migrants who are attempting to seek asylum in the country.
Greek politicians respond
New Democracy leader Kyriakos Mitsotakis postponed a party rally scheduled to take place in Patras on Wednesday evening in response to the incident. Together with Alexis Tsipras, the leader of Syriza – Greece’s main left-wing opposition party – both leaders have announced that they would halt ongoing electoral campaigns.
“We are all shocked by today’s tragic shipwreck in the international waters of the Mediterranean, southwest of the Peloponnese,” said Mitsotakis on Twitter. “I am saddened by the loss of so many innocent lives.”
Είμαστε όλοι συγκλονισμένοι από το σημερινό τραγικό ναυάγιο στα διεθνή ύδατα της Μεσογείου, νοτιοδυτικά της Πελοποννήσου. Εκφράζω τη θλίψη μου για την απώλεια τόσων αθώων ζωών. pic.twitter.com/FadsuCFGuz
— Kyriakos Mitsotakis (@kmitsotakis) June 14, 2023
Tsipras also took to Twitter to comment on the developing situation. “This is a human tragedy, which captures in the saddest way the hopelessness of those seeking asylum in Europe,” he said. “The moment demands that we put forward humanity and stand by the survivors of the shipwreck, while intensifying every effort to locate the missing.”
Όσο περνάνε τα λεπτά, αυξάνονται οι νεκροί στο ναυάγιο νοτιοδυτικά της Πύλου. Πρόκειται για μια ανθρώπινη τραγωδία, η οποία αποτυπώνει με τον πιο θλιβερό τρόπο την απελπισία όσων αναζητούν άσυλο στην Ευρώπη. Η στιγμή απαιτεί να προτάξουμε την ανθρωπιά και να σταθούμε δίπλα στους…
— Αλέξης Τσίπρας – Alexis Tsipras (@atsipras) June 14, 2023
Meanwhile, Greece’s migration ministry has pinned the blame on smuggling networks and people traffickers for endangering the lives of migrants.
Ioannis Sarmas, Greece’s caretaker prime minister, has declared three days of national mourning.
See all the latest news from Greece and the world at Greekreporter.com. Contact our newsroom to report an update or send your story, photos and videos. Follow GR on Google News and subscribe here to our daily email!
