What's new

Greece boat disaster: Capsized boat had 100 children in hold, BBC told

Predd

FULL MEMBER
Joined
Mar 31, 2023
Messages
165
Reaction score
-2
Country
United States
Location
United States
Survivors from a fishing boat that sank off southern Greece in one of Europe's worst migrant disasters say up to 100 children may have been on board.

At least 78 people have already been confirmed dead in the disaster.
But many more could still be missing at sea, with reports suggesting that up to 750 people were aboard the vessel.

At least 11 arrests have been made including several Egyptians on suspicion of people trafficking, Greek TV reports.
The coastguard has been criticised for not intervening earlier but authorities say their offers of aid were refused.

Rescuers are still searching the area where the boat capsized almost 50 nautical miles off the south-west coast, as hopes of finding more survivors dwindle.

The boat had been heading to Italy from the Libyan port of Tobruk when it went down.

Images showed the decks packed with people, but accounts of a large number of women and children in the hold of the ship have come from medics who treated the mostly male survivors.

The senior doctor at Kalamata General Hospital told the BBC as many as 100 children were on the vessel.

"[The survivors] told us there were children in the bottom of the ship. Children and women," said Dr Manolis Makaris, head of cardiology.

He said two patients had given him estimated figures.

"One told me about 100 children, the other about 50, so I don't know the truth - but it is many," he added.

Dr Makaris said he believed as many as 600 people could have died in the disaster.

"The exact number of all the people who were on the boat was 750. This is the exact number that everyone told me about this," he said.

Families of some Egyptian children who were missing had sent him photographs of their young relatives, he said, in the hope he would recognise them after treating them.

"It was a tragedy," he said. "Everyone in Europe must not accept this situation. We have to do something. Everyone has to do something so it doesn't happen again."

A reporter from Greece's ANT1 channel asked a survivor if there were 100 children on board, to which the survivor replied: "Yes."

The BBC has not been able to independently verify the figure, but it was corroborate by the charity Save the Children, citing testimonies from survivors.

Families of some of the missing have arrived in Kalamata in search of their loved ones.

"My relatives were on the boat," said Aftab, who had travelled from the UK and said at least four of his relatives from Pakistan were unaccounted for.

"We've had confirmation. We found one of the relatives in [the rescue centre]. But the others we haven't got hold of yet," he told the BBC.

A Syrian man from the Netherlands broke down as he revealed his wife and brother-in-law were missing.

Activist Nawal Soufi was the first to raise the alarm after being contacted by people on the boat on Tuesday morning.

The coastguard said initial contact was made with the fishing boat at 14:00 local time (11:00 GMT) on Tuesday, and no request for help had been made.

It said the Greek shipping ministry had made repeated contact with the boat and was told it simply wanted to sail on to Italy.

Two commercial ships provided water during the evening. In a Facebook post, Ms Soufi said the situation became "complicated" when a ship approached the vessel and tied ropes to it while throwing bottles of water on board.

She said some of the people on board had felt in "extreme danger" due to fears the rope could cause the boat to flip, and that fights on board over water could result in it capsizing. The boat then moved away.

The coastguard said that in the early hours of Wednesday the boat's engine broke down and that people on board started to move around causing it to capsize. All of the 104 people rescued were male.

Alarm Phone, an emergency helpline for migrants in trouble at sea, complained that the coastguard had been "aware of the ship being in distress for hours before any help was sent", adding that authorities "had been informed by different sources" that the boat was in trouble.

However, coastguard spokesperson Nikos Alexiou said they tried to convince the vessel to get help and "stayed by if they needed us to save people".

Former Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras visited Kalamata on Thursday and spoke to survivors about what they thought had gone wrong.

"The Greek coastguard asked the vessel to follow them, but they couldn't," a translator explained. "The coastguard then threw a rope but because they didn't know how to pull the rope, the vessel started dangling right and left,"

"The coastguard boat was going too fast but the vessel was already dangling to the left, and that's how it sank."
Greece is observing three days of mourning. Campaigning has been suspended ahead of the parliamentary election on 25 June and a TV debate due to happen on Thursday has been cancelled.

The country is one of the main routes into the European Union for refugees and migrants from the Middle East, Asia and Africa.

Last month the Greek government came under international criticism over video reportedly showed the forceful expulsion of migrants who were set adrift at sea.


 
.
Greece boat disaster: Survivors blame Greek coastguard for tragedy

Four people who survived the migrant boat disaster off the coast of Greece say the actions of the Greek coastguard caused the crowded fishing vessel to sink.

It's estimated that up to 750 people, mostly from Pakistan, Syria and Egypt, were on board when the boat capsized on 14 June. It was one of the worst humanitarian disasters in the Mediterranean in recent years - 104 people survived and 82 bodies have been recovered.

We are not naming the four survivors for their own safety but have verified their identities through more than one source.

Some of the men who spoke to the BBC over the phone are being held at the Malakasa refugee reception centre, 40km (25 miles) north-east of the Greek capital Athens, while others have now left the complex.

No media are allowed to enter the reception centre which is ringed by barbed wire.

"We thought they [the Greek coastguard] would rescue us but instead they sank the boat," an Egyptian survivor told us.

He said the Greek coastguard was towing the vessel when it sank in one of the deepest parts of the Mediterranean, about 80km (50 miles) off the coast of Greece.

The Greek authorities have previously denied this, claiming that when they tried to tie a rope to the boat to come aboard and assess the situation, people on board tried to remove it, saying they wanted to travel on to Italy.

But a Syrian survivor told us: "They towed the boat from the side and moved with speed." This tallies with the account of the Egyptian man, who said the coastguard "forcibly pulled us, causing the trawler to capsize".

Some of the survivors we spoke to said the Greek authorities asked them not to speak to the media about how the Greek coastguard tried to "rescue the boat" and if they did speak to reporters they "shouldn't blame the Greek coastguard".

One said Greek officials put pressure on him to change his account of what happened and in return he would "get some financial aid and our application for refugee status would be expedited".

We put the survivors' accounts of what happened to the Greek authorities and asked for a response, but they said they could not comment because any information they have forms part of the official investigation into the sinking.

They also pointed us to their previous statements which said they did not tow the trawler and repeated offers of help were turned down.

The German non-governmental organisation Sea-Watch charters boats to rescue migrants and refugees in the Mediterranean. It said it does not have enough information yet to assess exactly what happened but its head of operations told us: "Towing an old vessel with hundreds of people on board in heavy seas is sure to fail and be a disaster.

"According to what we know from the pictures and the testimonies, it's not a safe way to rescue the people on the boat in distress."

Mr Hahn said towing is always a risky manoeuvre but it is possible in certain circumstances.

Two of the survivors said Greek authorities had asked them, through interpreters and lawyers, to give evidence against the nine Egyptians who have been accused of people trafficking.

But all four survivors said the nine Egyptians were passengers, seated among them on the journey. They say the ship's crew were masked and spent most of their time in the cabin.

"The crew jumped in the water when the coastguard approached and some of these nine Egyptians tried to sail the boat," one of them told us. "It seems to me they are not the ones involved in people smuggling," he added.

Relatives of Egyptians who fear their loved ones were on board have told the BBC that they paid $4,500 (£3,500) each for the journey.

The UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) has welcomed investigations into what happened and called for "urgent and decisive action to prevent further deaths at sea".

It said: "Search and rescue at sea is a legal and humanitarian imperative" and urged the European Union to establish "safe regular pathways" in the Mediterranean.

UNHCR figures show that 80,000 people have crossed the Mediterranean to reach EU states so far this year with an estimated 1,200 people dying or going missing on the journey.

 
. . .
So now it's the Greek coast-guard's job to rescue illegal migrants?

It is certainly not the Greek coast guard's job to kill them. They obviously intentionally killed them.
 
.
It is certainly not the Greek coast guard's job to kill them. They obviously intentionally killed them.

More like they were trying to protect their borders and ended up killing them in the process. I mean it's called Greek Coastguard for a reason.

Everyone is looking after their own interests, including migrants.
 
.


Greece boat disaster: Survivors blame Greek coastguard for tragedy​


A undated photo provided by the Greek coastguard shows migrants on board a boat during a rescue operation before the boat capsized on the open sea, off Greece, June 14, 2023
IMAGE SOURCE,GREEK COAST GUARD
Image caption,
There were only 104 survivors of the shipwreck, one of the worst disasters in the Mediterranean in years
By Alaa Ragaie
BBC News Arabic

Four people who survived the migrant boat disaster off the coast of Greece say the actions of the Greek coastguard caused the crowded fishing vessel to sink.
It's estimated that up to 750 people, mostly from Pakistan, Syria and Egypt, were on board when the boat capsized on 14 June. It was one of the worst humanitarian disasters in the Mediterranean in recent years - 104 people survived and 82 bodies have been recovered.
We are not naming the four survivors for their own safety but have verified their identities through more than one source.
Some of the men who spoke to the BBC over the phone are being held at the Malakasa refugee reception centre, 40km (25 miles) north-east of the Greek capital Athens, while others have now left the complex.
No media are allowed to enter the reception centre which is ringed by barbed wire.
A survivor of a deadly migrant shipwreck off the coast of Greece stands inside a reception and identification camp in Malakasa, Greece on 17 June, 2023
IMAGE SOURCE,REUTERS
Image caption,
Survivors of the shipwreck have been taken to the Malakasa refugee reception centre near Athens
"We thought they [the Greek coastguard] would rescue us but instead they sank the boat," an Egyptian survivor told us.

He said the Greek coastguard was towing the vessel when it sank in one of the deepest parts of the Mediterranean, about 80km (50 miles) off the coast of Greece.
The Greek authorities have previously denied this, claiming that when they tried to tie a rope to the boat to come aboard and assess the situation, people on board tried to remove it, saying they wanted to travel on to Italy.
But a Syrian survivor told us: "They towed the boat from the side and moved with speed." This tallies with the account of the Egyptian man, who said the coastguard "forcibly pulled us, causing the trawler to capsize".
Some of the survivors we spoke to said the Greek authorities asked them not to speak to the media about how the Greek coastguard tried to "rescue the boat" and if they did speak to reporters they "shouldn't blame the Greek coastguard".
One said Greek officials put pressure on him to change his account of what happened and in return he would "get some financial aid and our application for refugee status would be expedited".
We put the survivors' accounts of what happened to the Greek authorities and asked for a response, but they said they could not comment because any information they have forms part of the official investigation into the sinking.

They also pointed us to their previous statements which said they did not tow the trawler and repeated offers of help were turned down.
A BBC map shows the location where a migrant boat capsized off the Greek island of Pylos

The German non-governmental organisation Sea-Watch charters boats to rescue migrants and refugees in the Mediterranean. It said it does not have enough information yet to assess exactly what happened but its head of operations told us: "Towing an old vessel with hundreds of people on board in heavy seas is sure to fail and be a disaster.
"According to what we know from the pictures and the testimonies, it's not a safe way to rescue the people on the boat in distress."
Mr Hahn said towing is always a risky manoeuvre but it is possible in certain circumstances.
Two of the survivors said Greek authorities had asked them, through interpreters and lawyers, to give evidence against the nine Egyptians who have been accused of people trafficking.
But all four survivors said the nine Egyptians were passengers, seated among them on the journey. They say the ship's crew were masked and spent most of their time in the cabin.

"The crew jumped in the water when the coastguard approached and some of these nine Egyptians tried to sail the boat," one of them told us. "It seems to me they are not the ones involved in people smuggling," he added.
Relatives of Egyptians who fear their loved ones were on board have told the BBC that they paid $4,500 (£3,500) each for the journey.
Flotation devices are seen floating in the sea as part of a symbolic demonstration for refugee rights by Greek activists on June 20, 2023
IMAGE SOURCE,GETTY IMAGES
Image caption,
To mark World Refugee Day (20 June), Greek activists launched flotation devices in the sea near the town of Piraeus
The UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) has welcomed investigations into what happened and called for "urgent and decisive action to prevent further deaths at sea".
It said: "Search and rescue at sea is a legal and humanitarian imperative" and urged the European Union to establish "safe regular pathways" in the Mediterranean.
UNHCR figures show that 80,000 people have crossed the Mediterranean to reach EU states so far this year with an estimated 1,200 people dying or going missing on the journey.
 
.
More like they were trying to protect their borders and ended up killing them in the process. I mean it's called Greek Coastguard for a reason.

Everyone is looking after their own interests, including migrants.

Killing people is not equal to protecting borders.
 
. .
It is certainly not the Greek coast guard's job to kill them. They obviously intentionally killed them.
Nobody killed them. Stop believing nonsense,just because you're biased.

The Hellenic Coast Guard has been working day and night for years,saving thousands and thousands of lives,often under very bad weather conditions.

Yes and no. Sometimes it is sometimes it is not. Just as migrants are serving their own interests, so are the Greeks. It's survival of the fittest.

A fact of life.
What he also forgets,is that the ship had been offered helped and they refused it again and again and that the ship sank in international waters.

Four people who survived the migrant boat disaster off the coast of Greece say the actions of the Greek coastguard caused the crowded fishing vessel to sink.
And yet the majority of survivors didn't even mention anything like that. On the contrary,they talked about the Captain,the traffickers and the way they were treated on the ship. They also mentioned that when other ships tried to help them,the crowd refused,because they thought they would be taken to Greece,instead of going to Italy.

You're listening to NGO and leftists,the same ones that in other cases you dismiss and laugh at.
 
Last edited:
. . .

Greek coastguard 'pressured' disaster survivors to blame Egyptian men​



@Foinikas Is BBC a liar and evil?

How do you feel about Afghanis who try to enter Pakistan illegally?

Are you denying that Greek coast guard didn't have a hand in the drowning of innocent people?

Nobody killed them. Stop believing nonsense,just because you're biased.

The Hellenic Coast Guard has been working day and night for years,saving thousands and thousands of lives,often under very bad weather conditions.


What he also forgets,is that the ship had been offered helped and they refused it again and again and that the ship sank in international waters.


And yet the majority of survivors didn't even mention anything like that. On the contrary,they talked about the Captain,the traffickers and the way they were treated on the ship. They also mentioned that when other ships tried to help them,the crowd refused,because they thought they would be taken to Greece,instead of going to Italy.

You're listening to NGO and leftists,the same ones that in other cases you dismiss and laugh at.

Your lies are being exposed every single day. All evidence points out that the Greek coast guard had a big hand in the drowning of children and women.


The Greek coast guard has a history of several abuses. This is not the first time that people were drowned.


Greece boat disaster: Survivors blame Greek coastguard for tragedy​


A undated photo provided by the Greek coastguard shows migrants on board a boat during a rescue operation before the boat capsized on the open sea, off Greece, June 14, 2023
IMAGE SOURCE,GREEK COAST GUARD
Image caption,
There were only 104 survivors of the shipwreck, one of the worst disasters in the Mediterranean in years
By Alaa Ragaie
BBC News Arabic

Four people who survived the migrant boat disaster off the coast of Greece say the actions of the Greek coastguard caused the crowded fishing vessel to sink.
It's estimated that up to 750 people, mostly from Pakistan, Syria and Egypt, were on board when the boat capsized on 14 June. It was one of the worst humanitarian disasters in the Mediterranean in recent years - 104 people survived and 82 bodies have been recovered.
We are not naming the four survivors for their own safety but have verified their identities through more than one source.
Some of the men who spoke to the BBC over the phone are being held at the Malakasa refugee reception centre, 40km (25 miles) north-east of the Greek capital Athens, while others have now left the complex.
No media are allowed to enter the reception centre which is ringed by barbed wire.
A survivor of a deadly migrant shipwreck off the coast of Greece stands inside a reception and identification camp in Malakasa, Greece on 17 June, 2023
IMAGE SOURCE,REUTERS
Image caption,
Survivors of the shipwreck have been taken to the Malakasa refugee reception centre near Athens
"We thought they [the Greek coastguard] would rescue us but instead they sank the boat," an Egyptian survivor told us.

He said the Greek coastguard was towing the vessel when it sank in one of the deepest parts of the Mediterranean, about 80km (50 miles) off the coast of Greece.
The Greek authorities have previously denied this, claiming that when they tried to tie a rope to the boat to come aboard and assess the situation, people on board tried to remove it, saying they wanted to travel on to Italy.
But a Syrian survivor told us: "They towed the boat from the side and moved with speed." This tallies with the account of the Egyptian man, who said the coastguard "forcibly pulled us, causing the trawler to capsize".
Some of the survivors we spoke to said the Greek authorities asked them not to speak to the media about how the Greek coastguard tried to "rescue the boat" and if they did speak to reporters they "shouldn't blame the Greek coastguard".
One said Greek officials put pressure on him to change his account of what happened and in return he would "get some financial aid and our application for refugee status would be expedited".
We put the survivors' accounts of what happened to the Greek authorities and asked for a response, but they said they could not comment because any information they have forms part of the official investigation into the sinking.

They also pointed us to their previous statements which said they did not tow the trawler and repeated offers of help were turned down.
A BBC map shows the location where a migrant boat capsized off the Greek island of Pylos

The German non-governmental organisation Sea-Watch charters boats to rescue migrants and refugees in the Mediterranean. It said it does not have enough information yet to assess exactly what happened but its head of operations told us: "Towing an old vessel with hundreds of people on board in heavy seas is sure to fail and be a disaster.
"According to what we know from the pictures and the testimonies, it's not a safe way to rescue the people on the boat in distress."
Mr Hahn said towing is always a risky manoeuvre but it is possible in certain circumstances.
Two of the survivors said Greek authorities had asked them, through interpreters and lawyers, to give evidence against the nine Egyptians who have been accused of people trafficking.
But all four survivors said the nine Egyptians were passengers, seated among them on the journey. They say the ship's crew were masked and spent most of their time in the cabin.

"The crew jumped in the water when the coastguard approached and some of these nine Egyptians tried to sail the boat," one of them told us. "It seems to me they are not the ones involved in people smuggling," he added.
Relatives of Egyptians who fear their loved ones were on board have told the BBC that they paid $4,500 (£3,500) each for the journey.
Flotation devices are seen floating in the sea as part of a symbolic demonstration for refugee rights by Greek activists on June 20, 2023
IMAGE SOURCE,GETTY IMAGES
Image caption,
To mark World Refugee Day (20 June), Greek activists launched flotation devices in the sea near the town of Piraeus
The UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) has welcomed investigations into what happened and called for "urgent and decisive action to prevent further deaths at sea".
It said: "Search and rescue at sea is a legal and humanitarian imperative" and urged the European Union to establish "safe regular pathways" in the Mediterranean.
UNHCR figures show that 80,000 people have crossed the Mediterranean to reach EU states so far this year with an estimated 1,200 people dying or going missing on the journey.

There is not a shred of doubt. The Greek coast guard played their part in drowning the boat.
 
Last edited:
.

Pakistan Defence Latest Posts

Back
Top Bottom