UK: Aftab Khan, a British man from Wolverhampton, is filled with anxiety as he fears that members of his family might be among the numerous individuals missing after a tragic incident involving a fishing boat overloaded with migrants that capsized and sank off the coast of Greece during the early hours of Wednesday.
Rescue efforts to find survivors have been ongoing in the Ionian Sea, approximately 50 miles from the southern coastal town of Pylos. The local coast guard service has reported that 104 people have been rescued so far, while 78 bodies have been recovered.
According to Greek authorities, the majority of the migrants originated from Egypt, Syria, and Pakistan. The ill-fated boat had departed from Libya and was en route to Italy.
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Some distressed individuals aboard the vessel made frantic calls to the charity Alarm Phone, which offers a hotline for migrants in distress on Mediterranean Sea voyages. Sky News reported that the charity stated the boat might have been carrying up to 750 people.
Aftab Khan, who promptly traveled to Greece upon learning of the tragedy, spoke to Sky News and shared that one of his cousins had been found alive, but he is still unable to locate two others. "We don't know where the rest of them are at the moment," he stated from the port city of Kalamata, where survivors are receiving care. "We're just trying to find out."
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The boat capsized and sank around 2 a.m. on Wednesday after experiencing engine failure and erratic movement. Images released by the Greek coast guard depict numerous people on the upper and lower decks, some reaching out with outstretched arms. Witnesses reported the presence of numerous women and children in the lower hold.
Alarm Phone revealed that they had spoken to someone aboard the vessel who pleaded, "The captain left on a small boat. Please, any solution."
Sky News reported that the charity accused Greek and other European authorities of neglecting to initiate a rescue operation prior to the boat capsizing, despite being "well aware of this overcrowded and unseaworthy vessel."
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Contrarily, the Greek coast guard denied these allegations, stating that the people on board "refused our assistance because they wanted to go to Italy."
Many survivors are currently undergoing treatment for hypothermia and dehydration. They are being temporarily housed in a warehouse, where Greek authorities are verifying their identities and conducting interviews, with the aim of identifying any potential people smugglers among them.
The United Nations' International Organization for Migration stated that reports suggest there may have been up to 400 people on the boat. The deputy mayor of Kalamata informed Sky News that the number is likely closer to 550.