Up to 750 passengers were believed to be onboard the boat that capsized along the dangerous central Mediterranean migration route
when a fishing boat carrying hundreds of migrants capsized off the southern Peloponnese in the early hours of Wednesday morning.
The fishing boat may have been carrying as many as 750 people, of which around 100 were children, according to survivors. Only 104 individuals have been rescued and taken to shelter as of Thursday and experts say it’s unlikely anyone else will be found alive. Greek authorities cited the incident as one of the largest migrant tragedies ever recorded on the central Mediterranean migration route. The E.U.’s border agency, Frontex, spotted the boat Tuesday—which was packed with passengers who weren’t wearing life jackets—and alerted Greek and Italian authorities. Officials say the boat’s engine likely stopped working or ran out of fuel and began to veer off course before sinking at around 2 a.m.
“It’s one of the biggest [search] operations ever in the Mediterranean,” Greek coastguard spokesman Nikos Alexiou told state ERT TV of the ongoing search effort,. “We won’t stop looking,” he added. Overnight, six coastguard vessels, navy frigate, and other military transport were utilized in the rescue, but efforts have been hindered by strong winds.
Survivors were taken to the port city of Kalamata, where many are being treated for hypothermia and dehydration. Meanwhile, the bodies of the deceased have been moved to Athens where the identification process will begin with the help of relevant embassies.Members of the Red Cross and UNHCR wait outside of a hangar where more than 100 migrants have been temporarily housed as the Greek Coast Guard ship with 79 recovered bodies arrives to a port in Kalamata on June 14.
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