Rabat – An overcrowded fishing boat carrying refugees capsized and sank off the coast of Greece, killing 79 of the people onboard, with hundreds more feared to be dead as they remain stuck below deck.
Rescuers have managed to save 104 passengers on Wednesday. Most were men, with doctors reporting that dozens of them had symptoms of near drowning, such as pneumonia.
If the rescuers’ fears are confirmed to be true, the tragedy would be one of the worst ever recorded in the Mediterranean and Europe.
“The chances of finding [more survivors] are minimal,” retired Greek coast guard admiral Nikos Spanos told ERT Television.
Greece has declared three days of mourning, with the dead victims transported to a cemetery near Athens for DNA tests.
The refugees are believed to have been traveling from Libya to Italy, a popular destination for irregular migrants crossing the Mediterranean from Africa.
The International Organization for Migration has put the estimated number of passengers on the boat at around 750, including 40 children, while other organizations put the number of children at about 100.
The incident has incited expressions of anger and concern from several NGOs and significant public figures.
Following the sinking of the boat, the Vatican said that Pope Francis was “deeply dismayed” and offered his “heartfelt prayers” for the migrants who died and those who lost their loved ones.
Greek officials said that the boat’s engine had stopped and that it began veering from side to side, adding that the captain fled on a small boat.
Incidents of migrant boats sinking and killing the passengers are somewhat common, with irregular migration being a popular, yet dangerous, way for those seeking to make it to Europe.
In February, a boat sank off the coast of Italian city Crotone, killing 58, including a months-old baby, and injuring 81 more.
