World

Ship Capsizes Off Greek Coast, Killing 17 Migrants; 100 Rescued

Greece’s coastguard stated that 17 migrants perished early Wednesday after their boat overturned and drowned off the coast of Peloponnese, while approximately 100 others were rescued.

Prior, the coastguard stated, “The tragedy occurred in international waters in the Ionian Sea, prompting a large rescue operation difficult by heavy winds”.

The operation involved an army jet and chopper, as well as six other boats in the region, in addition to navy vessels.

Further, the coastguard stated, “Since very early Wednesday, an extensive rescue operation has been underway off Pylos, after a fishing boat capsized with a large number of migrants onboard”.

Those rescued were being transported to Kalamata, though four in critical condition were airlifted by helicopter to the port’s hospital.

A surveillance plane from Europe’s Frontex agency spotted the boat Tuesday afternoon, according to the coastguard, but the passengers refused any assistance.

It later stated that none of the passengers were wearing life jackets and did not immediately reveal their nationalities.

Authorities claimed the migrants looked to have left Libya and were on their way to Italy.

Also, on Wednesday, Greece’s port police reported that a sailboat in distress off the coast of Crete was rescued and towed to port by a coastguard patrol.

Greece, Italy, and Spain have long been the main landing points for the tens of thousands of individuals trying to enter Europe from Africa and the Middle East.

In addition, Greece is seeing a surge in Turkish crossing attempts on southern routes along the Cyclades islands and towards the Peloponnese peninsula, in an attempt to escape patrols in the northern Aegean Sea.

Rescue missions are regular, but the Greek government came under international scrutiny last month after video footage allegedly showed the forcible evacuation of migrants stranded at sea.

Greece and other EU member states on the bloc’s southern and southeastern rim claim they are being unfairly charged with managing the unauthorized migrant influx.

Also read: 4 Fresh Earthquake Hits Jammu And Kashmir

Spriha Rai

Recent Posts

‘In Kabul, A Cat Has More Freedom Than A Woman’: Revisiting Women’s Struggles Under The Taliban

The Taliban’s regime has since imposed over 100 laws restricting women's rights, stripping them of…

14 minutes ago

PM Modi’s Gifts: A Glimpse Of India’s Cultural Heritage In Global Diplomacy

These gifts to world leaders reflect the diverse traditions, arts, and crafts of India, emphasizing…

3 hours ago

Dr Rajeshwar Singh Calls For Bold Goals To Make India A Global Power By 2047

Dr Singh stressed the importance of reaching a GDP of $15 trillion by 2047 to…

4 hours ago

Gautam Adani Faces Indictment In US: Legal Expert Vijay Aggarwal Dismisses Immediate Repercussions

Criminal lawyer Vijay Aggarwal weighed in on the charges against Adani. He believes the indictment…

4 hours ago

Adani Group Stocks Recover As Sensex nd Nifty Post Gains

After a major sell-off earlier in the week, Adani Group stocks, led by Ambuja Cements…

5 hours ago

Sensex Soars 1,961 Points, Nifty Gains 557 In Broad-Based Market Rally

A sharp rally in financial stocks and encouraging US labor market data fueled the uptrend.…

5 hours ago