They wanted to go from Libya to Italy: a fishing boat with hundreds of people crammed into it sinks in the Mediterranean Sea. 104 can be saved – there is little hope for more survivors.
The 104 migrants who survived a boat accident off Greece are to be brought to a refugee camp near Athens today and tomorrow.
In addition, the transfer of the dead to Athens has started, as reported by the state broadcaster ERT. DNA samples are to be taken there to identify the people. In total there are 78 fatalities. The coast guard corrected their statements from the previous day, according to which there were now 79 dead.
The Greek authorities now put the actual number of fatalities at more than 500. But they also point out that there will probably never be any certainty. The numbers are based on information provided by the survivors and estimates by the Coast Guard of how many people were crammed on the fishing trawler.
Although the search continued throughout the night and is continuing today, no other survivors or bodies have been found. It is believed that the people below deck could not save themselves when the ship sank.
The boat had set sail from Libya days earlier and was bound for Italy. Both the coast guard officials and passing freighters offered people radio help, as the coast guard later announced. However, the passengers rejected the offer on the grounds that they wanted to reach Italy. Because the boat was in international waters, the Greek coast guard could only intervene when it got into distress and capsized on Wednesday night.
Source: Stern
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