boat accident
Hundreds of dead migrants in the Mediterranean: processing begins
Numerous people can be seen on board the fishing boat, which later capsized and sank off southern Greece. photo
© Uncredited/Hellenic Coast Guard/AP/dpa
After the boat accident with hundreds of dead, the investigation is underway: is the coast guard partly to blame? What role did the suspected smugglers play? Many questions are still open.
After the shipwreck in the Mediterranean where several hundred refugees from Africa drowned, the search for the culprits is now underway. The Greek authorities asked the European police authority Europol for help with the investigation at the weekend. Nine suspected smugglers who were on board the sunken cutter, were rescued and then arrested are said to belong to a large gang. The investigators now want to determine who is behind the smuggling ring – particularly in Egypt and Italy.
The coast guard defended itself against allegations that it had accepted the deaths of up to 700 people on board the ship during its operation on Wednesday. A patrol boat allegedly offered help – which was rejected by the people on board the cutter. In addition, the 78 recovered fatalities must be identified and the 104 survivors registered. A search was continued at the scene of the accident – without success. There is no longer any hope of finding survivors.
Authorities want to investigate against smugglers
The catastrophe off Greece’s coast caused international outrage. Pope Francis said in Rome on Sunday that it was with “great sadness and pain” that he heard about it. He warned to do “everything possible so that such tragedies don’t happen again”. Together with the Italian police and the European police authority Europol, the Greeks now want to determine who is behind the smugglers’ gang. After the accident, nine Egyptians between the ages of 20 and 40, who were among the survivors, were arrested.
The gang is said to have organized up to 18 trips across the Mediterranean from Libya to Italy in recent months. One of the men admitted receiving money to do work on the ship during the voyage, Greek media reported. The other men are said to have denied all allegations so far. There were allegations from many sides that the coast guard had not intervened after the cutter was discovered. Some media quoted survivors that the coast guard even caused the sinking by trying to tow the boat towards Italy.
Coast Guard attached rope to fishing trawler
On Sunday, the Greek newspaper Kathimerini published the transcript of a report that the commander of patrol boat 920 gave to his superiors. As a result, the captain offered help to the completely overcrowded fishing cutter about two hours before the accident – which was rejected from there.
“We approached the ship to check its condition and that of the passengers and to offer assistance again,” the newspaper quoted the captain, whose name was not published. Then the officials attached a rope to the bow of the ship. However, calls like “No Help” and “Go Italy” could be heard from on board – no help was needed, the destination was Italy. “Despite repeated appeals as to whether they needed help, they ignored us and untied the rope at around 11:57 p.m..”
The patrol boat then accompanied the boat at a distance of 200 meters, the captain said. At 1.40 a.m. the cutter stopped again. Then the boat slowly tilted. There was a riot among the passengers, and screams could also be heard. However, the boat capsized within a minute. The Mediterranean Sea is about 5000 meters deep at this point.