The vessel wobbled sharply, flooded and capsized. Less than 15 minutes later, it sank into one of the Mediterranean’s deepest points, off the coast of Greece. Hundreds of people are thought to have been on board when the boat went down Wednesday, although authorities have no precise figure.
Rescuers saved 104 passengers – including Egyptians, Syrians, Pakistanis, Afghans and Palestinians – and recovered 79 bodies. And the search went on Thursday for more, with aircraft dropping flares to help search teams.
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Rescuers scoured seas off Greece on Thursday in a massive search operation, as hopes dwindled of finding survivors of a shipwreck that killed at least 78 migrants in one of Europe’s deadliest such disasters in recent years.
ReplyDeleteReports suggested hundreds of people had packed the fishing boat that capsized and sank early on Wednesday in deep waters about 50 miles (80 km) from the southern coastal town of Pylos, while being shadowed by the Greek coast guard.
Survivors from a fishing boat that sank off southern Greece in one of Europe's worst migrant disasters say up to 100 children may have been on board.
ReplyDeleteAt least 78 people have already been confirmed dead in the disaster.
But scores more could still be missing at sea, with reports suggesting that up to 750 people were aboard the vessel.
The country's coastguard has been criticised for not intervening earlier but authorities say their offers of aid were refused.
Rescuers are still scouring the seas off Greece in a massive search operation, as hopes of finding more survivors dwindle.
BBC