‘Up to 500’ lacking after migrant boat sunk off Greek coast – together with ladies and youngsters

Jun 17, 2023 at 2:24 AM
‘Up to 500’ lacking after migrant boat sunk off Greek coast – together with ladies and youngsters

Up to 500 individuals are lacking after an overcrowded fishing boat carrying migrants capsized within the Mediterranean Sea, the United Nations has mentioned.

Seventy-eight people are known to have died after the vessel bought into problem and sank 45 miles off the coast of Greece within the early hours of Wednesday.

Speaking at a briefing in Geneva on Friday, a spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights mentioned: “The high commissioner expressed his condolences to those who have lost loved ones – 78 people are known to have died and up to 500 are missing, among them large numbers of women and children.”

Greek authorities had already confirmed they recovered 78 our bodies and rescued 104 males.

It isn’t identified precisely how many individuals have been on the boat, however the charity Alarm Phone, which acquired a number of misery calls, mentioned it was round 750.

There have been no ladies or youngsters rescued up to now, with many fearing they have been trapped on the decrease deck and dragged down into the water when the boat sank.

Survivors arrive by yacht after a rescue operation at the port in Kalamata town, about 240 kilometers (150miles) southwest of Athens on Wednesday, June 14, 2023. Authorities say at least 32 people have died after a fishing boat carrying dozens of migrants capsized and sank off the southern coast of Greece. A large search and rescue operation is underway. Authorities said 104 people have been rescued so far following the incident early Wednesday some 75 kilometers (46 miles) southwest of Greece...s southern Peloponnese region.(www.argolikeseidhseis.gr via AP)
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A survivor disembarks the Hellenic Coast Guard ship on the port of Kalamata

Migrants who were rescued after their boat capsized, are seen inside a warehouse at the port of Kalamata
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Rescued migrants have been initially taken to a warehouse in Kalamata

Some of the tales now rising from the catastrophe create an image of unthinkably horrific circumstances onboard.

A Greek social employee who sorted a few of the survivors, informed Sky News that she had heard that water ran out on the boat days earlier than it sank, forcing passengers to drink their very own urine and suck water from the melting fridges.

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Migrants ‘drank their very own urine’ to outlive.

Many of them are struggling extreme psychological trauma.

She recalled one survivor who informed her that “for two hours he was swimming surrounded by the bodies of children” and a younger man in his 20s, who “wanted to commit suicide, wanted to jump into the sea and kill himself because he couldn’t take it anymore”.

A bus of survivors enters a migrant camp in Malakasa, central Greece on Friday
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A bus of survivors enters an immigration centre in Malakasa, central Greece on Friday

Not anticipating any extra survivors

The survivors have been moved to an immigration centre in central Greece. The warehouse the place they have been staying is now being cleaned and the help companies have left.

It is evident they are not anticipating any extra survivors.

The media consideration has shifted to the Hellenic Coast Guard workplace within the port of Kalamata as questions are actually arising over whether or not they might have completed extra to avert the catastrophe.

Read extra:
Migrant boat tragedy – what we know so far
Teenage boat disaster survivor’s reunion with brother
British man fears his relatives are among the missing

One Greek newspaper quoted an nameless supply claiming {that a} rope had been connected to the boat round three hours earlier than it capsized.

There are additionally questions on why nothing was completed to rescue at the very least a few of the passengers when it was apparent the boat was dangerously overcrowded, with migrants onboard and due to this fact virtually definitely individuals smugglers too.

The coastguard has beforehand mentioned it acted in accordance with worldwide regulation as a result of the boat was in worldwide waters.