|
By
midday, 104 were rescued, but it remained unclear how many were
on board when the vessel went under, authorities said. The
shipwreck was the deadliest off Greece this year.
The coast guard said the boat, which was en route to Italy, was
spotted in international waters late on Tuesday by an aircraft
belonging to EU border agency Frontex and two nearby vessels,
around 50 miles (80 km) southwest of the town of Pylos in
southern Greece.
It said those on board had refused assistance offered by Greek
authorities late on Tuesday. A few hours later the boat capsized
and sank, triggering a search and rescue operation.
State broadcaster ERT said it had sailed from the Libyan town of
Tobruk, which lies south of the Greek island of Crete, with most
on board being young men in their 20s. Their nationalities, as
well as where the boat had sailed from, were not immediately
confirmed by Greek authorities.
Survivors were taken to the town of Kalamata, the authorities
said.
Greece is one of the main routes into the European Union for
refugees and migrants from the Middle East, Asia and Africa.
Most cross to Greek islands from nearby Turkey, but a growing
number of boats also undertake a longer, and more dangerous
journey from Turkey to Italy via Greece.
About 72,000 refugees and migrants have arrived so far this
years in Europe's frontline countries Italy, Spain, Greece,
Malta and Cyprus, according to United Nations data, with the
majority landing in Italy.
(Reporting by Karolina Tagaris; Editing by Frank Jack Daniel,
Sharon Singleton, John Stonestreet)
[© 2023 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.] Copyright 2022 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content.
|
|
