Seventeen migrants were found dead Saturday after their vessel was discovered drifting off the Greek island of Crete, Greek coast guard officials and state media said.
“Two survivors in critical condition have been hospitalized,” a coast guard spokeswoman said, adding that autopsies must be carried out because the circumstances of the sinking are not yet known.
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State broadcaster ERT reported that the bodies were found inside a partially deflated rubber boat that was taking on water. “The vessel the migrants were on was deflated on two sides, which forced the passengers into a reduced space,” ERT quoted an official as saying.
The craft was located about 26 nautical miles (48 kilometers) southwest of Crete after a Turkish cargo ship spotted it and alerted authorities, Greek news agency ANA reported.
Two coast guard vessels and a Frontex ship sailed to the scene, supported by a Frontex aircraft and a Super Puma helicopter, the coast guard said. The two survivors — the only people pulled from the vessel alive — were taken to hospital in critical condition.
According to the coast guard, the survivors told rescuers that the boat had become unstable in bad weather and that those on board had been unable to cover themselves or obtain food and water. ERT said coroners were examining the possibility that dehydration or exposure contributed to the deaths.
Greek authorities did not immediately release the migrants’ nationalities or other identifying details. Investigators planned to carry out autopsies to determine cause of death and were examining the sequence of events that led to the vessel being left adrift, the coast guard said.
Migrants have increasingly used routes to Crete in recent months to reach European Union territory from Libya and other parts of North Africa. The U.N. refugee agency, UNHCR, said more than 16,770 people seeking asylum in the EU had arrived on Crete since the start of the year.
The eastern Mediterranean route has drawn renewed attention as weather improves and smugglers shift crossings away from busier Aegean and central Mediterranean lanes. Humanitarian groups regularly warn of overcrowded, unseaworthy vessels and insufficient search-and-rescue capacity at sea.
Greek authorities said the investigation into Saturday’s deaths was ongoing and that they would provide additional information as autopsy results and further inquiries become available.
By Abdiwahab Ahmed
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
