Greece: Disaster in the Mediterranean: No hope for more survivors

After the sinking of a refugee boat southwest of Greece, there is no longer any hope of being able to rescue survivors. In total, more than 500 migrants could have died in the accident, only 104 survived, according to the authorities. The Coast Guard has only been able to recover 78 victims so far. Nevertheless, the rescue work is being continued together with the Navy and Air Force, as state television showed.

Tragic scenes took place in the Greek port of Kalamata on Thursday morning. Many of the 104 surviving migrants searched for their relatives there. In desperation, they held cell phone photos of the victims in front of the helpers, mostly without success.

500 to 700 people on board?

The rusty, 30 meter long fishing cutter seems to have dragged most of the victims down with it. In all, there may have been between 500 and 700 people on board, authorities said, citing interviews with survivors and estimates of the boat’s capacity. There will be no certainty: the scene of the accident, around 50 nautical miles southwest of the Greek Peloponnese peninsula, is right above the Calypso low, at over 5,000 meters the deepest point in the Mediterranean.

The survivors are to be taken to a refugee camp near Athens by Friday. According to the Coast Guard, most passengers come from Syria, Afghanistan and Pakistan. The recovered dead were brought to Athens on Thursday, where attempts are being made to identify the corpses using DNA samples, among other things.

Apparently stampede on the ship

Meanwhile, investigations into the cause of the accident continue: According to the state broadcaster ERT, eight survivors in Kalamata were arrested and questioned by the port police. They are considered suspected smugglers and organizers of the deadly journey, for which the migrants said they paid between 5,000 and 6,000 euros per person.

According to media reports, mass panic broke out on board when the engines of the old cutter failed. The overcrowded ship then lost its balance, capsized and sank immediately. Survivors said many of the passengers could not swim, and few wore life jackets. Also, the people below deck could not have escaped to the outside so quickly. Among them were many women and up to 100 children, it said.

Migrants wanted to go to Italy

The Greek Coast Guard and also passing freighters had repeatedly offered help to the crew of the boat by radio, said a spokesman for the authority. However, the crew rejected the offer on the grounds that they wanted to reach Italy. Because the boat was in international waters, officials were only able to intervene when the cutter got into distress and capsized on Wednesday night.

In Greece, people were shocked by one of the worst sea disasters in recent years. Internationally, however, the expressions of condolence were limited; On Thursday, Pope Francis published a letter of condolence, previously EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and UN chief António Guterres had shown themselves shocked.

A week ago, the EU states agreed on comprehensive reform plans in asylum policy. Asylum applications from migrants who come from countries of origin with a recognition rate of less than 20 percent are to be examined within twelve weeks at the EU’s external borders. During this time, they want to oblige those seeking protection to stay in strictly controlled reception facilities. Those who have no chance of asylum should be sent back immediately. However, it is conceivable that the EU Parliament will still push through changes. It has a say in the reform.