The EU’s border protection authority Frontex and the Greek coastguard are under fire: Could the shipwreck on the Peloponnesian peninsula be avoided?
Around 200 people demonstrated in Piraeus against the actions of the EU border protection agency Frontex and the Greek coast guard. They accuse the services of not having acted in time to rescue the fishing boat that later sank off the Peloponnese peninsula.
Reports: Up to 750 people on board
78 bodies were found and 104 people rescued, but many more were feared to have died. According to unconfirmed reports, there could be up to 750 people on board who wanted to cross the Mediterranean Sea from Libya to Italy.
Coast Guard tow attempt
A Frontex surveillance aircraft spotted the ship. The Greek Coast Guard said an attempt to take the overcrowded fishing boat to safety was denied by the people on board because they wanted to continue to Italy. A spokesman for Greece’s interim government said a ship carrying so many people could not be towed under duress.