Nine men have been arrested after the shipwreck off the coast of Greece. Survivors report mass panic on board – and women and children who apparently didn’t make it on deck.
According to an insider, authorities have arrested nine people after the sinking of a ship carrying migrants in the Mediterranean Sea.
As the state radio (ERT) reported on Thursday evening, the Egyptian men are accused, among other things, of forming a criminal organization. They must be brought before the public prosecutor of the port city of Kalamata. He will decide how to proceed.
Hundreds of migrants are feared killed when the fishing trawler sank about 50 nautical miles southwest of Greece’s Peloponnese peninsula on Wednesday. The Coast Guard was able to rescue 104 people. Coast Guard investigators continue to question the survivors.
Suspicious of women and children below deck
But the descriptions of the rescued paint a picture of horror. For example, the British broadcaster “BBC” quotes a doctor from Kalamata, where the people were taken: “The survivors tell us that there were children in the ship. Children and women,” says Manolis Makaris.
Below decks they were crammed together. The information would be between 50 and 100, the doctor reports in connection with the number of children. Images from the Greek coastguard show how the fishing boat sinks. The deck is completely packed with people, but you can’t see the interior.
According to media reports, mass panic broke out on board when the old cutter’s engines failed.
The overcrowded ship then lost its balance, capsized and immediately sank. Survivors stated that many passengers were unable to swim and hardly anyone wore a life jacket. The people below deck – apparently where women and children were staying – couldn’t have escaped so quickly.
The rusty, 100-foot fishing cutter seems to have pulled most of the passengers down with it. Nikos Spanos, a retired admiral in the Greek Coast Guard, told ERT: “We’ve seen old fishing boats like this in Libya. They’re not seaworthy at all. Simply put, they’re floating coffins.”
The desperate search of the bereaved
Meanwhile, tragic scenes are unfolding in the Greek port city of Kalamata. Many of the 104 surviving migrants are looking for their loved ones. In desperation, they hold cell phone photos of the victims for the helpers, usually unsuccessfully.
Relatives of the missing persons also arrived from other European countries on Thursday. They also tried to learn more about the fate of their loved ones through authorities and the survivors, reporters on the scene said.
According to the latest findings, the fishing boat departed from Egypt a few days ago, then stopped in Tobruk in Libya and took on more people. The tugs then set course for Italy.
Criticism of the Greek Coast Guard
Hours before the ship sank, however, published aerial photos showed desperate people on the ship’s upper deck, apparently calling for help with arms outstretched. However, the Coast Guard did not intervene at this time. Aid has been refused, Greek officials say.
However, a network of activists said they had received repeated distress calls from the ship during that time. Greek MP Kriton Arsenis said he spoke to survivors who claim the ship was towed by the Greek coastguard just before the sinking, which the authority denies. They would have “accompanied” the cutter.
According to reports, the passengers paid between 5,000 and 6,000 euros for their journey to their deaths.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
