Sea official statement According to the Greek Coast Guard, on Tuesday around 9 p.m. local time, a patrol boat discovered a speedboat with foreign passengers that was sailing unlit in the Myrsini sea area towards the east coast of Chios. The speedboat initially ignored the light and sound signals of the coast guard ship “LS 1077” as well as the request to return to Turkish waters.
The speedboat carrying refugees “instead turned around and rammed the right side of the coast guard vessel,” according to the Greek coast guard’s version. The statement continued: “The force of the impact caused the speedboat to capsize and sink, causing all occupants to fall into the sea.”
According to Greek media reports, the eight-meter-long speedboat that collided with the guard boat “LS 1077” was carrying at least 39 migrants. The collision took place 1.5 nautical miles east of the island of Chios and was therefore “clearly within Greek territorial waters”.
So far, 14 bodies, including 11 men and 3 women, have been recovered from the sea. According to the coast guard, another migrant died in the hospital in Chios. A total of 25 migrants – seven men, seven women and eleven children and young people – as well as two crew members of the guard boat were injured and taken to hospital.
Search and rescue operation started
According to the Ekab rescue service, two pregnant women were among those admitted. According to doctors, their fetuses were dead, but the women themselves were out of danger. According to media reports, ten of the injured refugees were 15 years old or younger and were therefore being treated in the children’s clinic.
As the head of the Skilitseio Hospital on Chios announced on Wednesday morning, five of the injured people who were brought there have now been operated on. According to him, “the lives of none of the injured appear to be in danger at the moment.” Four refugees suffered life-threatening injuries after the collision.
According to information, the occupants of the speedboat were Afghans and a Moroccan. Contrary to initial reports to the contrary, there was no exchange of fire between the two boats, the Greek coast guard said.
According to media reports, the number of victims could increase. Immediately after the collision, Greek authorities launched a search and rescue operation for possible missing refugees, involving four coast guard boats, divers and two Greek Air Force helicopters. The search and rescue operation continued on Wednesday.
Further tightening of the law is planned
The fatal collision outside Chios took place on the eve of a vote in the Athens parliament on a further tightening the already restrictive Greek migration legislation. With the tightening measures introduced by the right-wing conservative migration minister Thanos Plevris, Greece wants to take even tougher action against smugglers who bring migrants to Hellas in violation of entry regulations.
This should also apply to employees of non-governmental organizations active in refugee aid against whom criminal proceedings have been initiated, even if there is not yet a legally binding judgment against them. 73 organizations are attacking this. In one open letter They demanded the withdrawal of several articles of the bill.