After a migrant boat crashed off the Greek coast, the death toll rose to 59 on Wednesday. It is feared that the death toll will continue to rise.
The disaster occurred off the coast of the Peloponnese peninsula in Greece on Wednesday morning. Several hundred people are believed to have been on board the fishing boat that left near the Libyan port of Tobruk. People wanted to go to Italy. Their ship sank about 80 kilometers off the Peloponnese peninsula.
On Wednesday afternoon, the Greek Coast Guard and passing ships managed to rescue 104 survivors. 78 bodies have been recovered from the sea so far. The number of victims will likely be much higher. Survivors said there were about 500 people on board the 30-metre boat. According to the humanitarian organization Alarm Phone, 750 passengers would be on board, mostly men between 20 and 30 years old.
Three of those rescued were questioned by port police in Kalamata. Apparently, there is a suspicion that they are towed. Most survivors were severely hypothermic. They were taken to hospitals. Authorities set up an emergency hospital in the port of Kalamata. Clinics in neighboring cities were put on alert. Numerous Coast Guard ships, a Greek Navy frigate, helicopters and planes and a drone were involved in the search. But with each passing hour, the hope of rescuing more survivors from the sea faded.
Italian authorities had already become aware of the boat on Tuesday. They alerted the Greek coast guard. A plane from the EU’s border protection agency, Frontex, discovered it 47 nautical miles off the coast of Peloponnese. The Greek Coast Guard contacted them via radio and offered help. According to authorities, passing merchant ships also offered passengers to take them in, but they declined. However, a patrol boat accompanied the fishing boat in order to provide assistance in case of need. A little later, despite calm seas, she capsized suddenly and quickly sank, the Greek coastguard said.