Seventeen men were discovered dead inside a sinking migrant vessel off Crete, while two critically injured survivors were rescued as authorities investigate how the tragedy occurred
At least 17 men were found dead on Saturday after a migrant vessel was located drifting off the Greek island of Crete, a coastguard spokeswoman told AFP. She added that two survivors in critical condition had been taken to hospital and that autopsies were required, as the circumstances of the sinking were not yet known. According to Greek state broadcaster ERT, the bodies were discovered inside the vessel, which had been taking on water and was partly deflated.
Manolis Frangoulis, mayor of the Cretan port of Ierapetra, said all the victims were young and noted that the vessel had been deflated on two sides, forcing passengers into a restricted space. Coroners are examining the possibility that the men died of dehydration, ERT reported.
Greek officials stated that the vessel was found 26 nautical miles, or 48 kilometres, southwest of Crete. A Turkish cargo ship spotted the drifting boat and alerted the authorities, according to the Greek news agency Ana. Two coastguard vessels and another from the EU border agency Frontex travelled to the area, along with a Frontex aircraft and a Super Puma helicopter. The coastguard said the survivors reported that the vessel had become unstable due to bad weather and that they had no shelter or access to food or water.
Rise in migrant crossings towards Crete
Migrants have in the past year shifted their focus towards Crete in the eastern Mediterranean as a route to reach European Union territory from Libya in North Africa. The UN refugee agency UNHCR reports that more than 16,770 people seeking asylum in the EU have arrived there since the start of the year.
In July, Greece’s conservative government under Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis suspended asylum hearings for migrants, particularly those arriving on Crete from Libya. Migration Minister Thanos Plevris, a former member of the Greek far-right party Laos, posted on X at the time that Greece was taking “immediate actions to counter the invasion from North Africa”.
Libya has been in turmoil since the 2011 overthrow and killing of long-time ruler Moamer Kadhafi in a NATO-backed uprising.
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