Most victims in migrant boat collision in Greece had severe head injuries, diver says
ATHENS, Greece (AP) — A diver helps retrieve bodies fatal collision Most of the 15 people who died suffered serious head injuries, a statement said Friday between a boat carrying migrants and a Greek coast guard ship, raising questions about the circumstances of the incident.
A search and rescue operation was underway on Friday for possible missing persons, three days after the collision off the island of Chios in the eastern Aegean. 15 people died, 26 people were injured including 11 children and two coast guard officers. The total number of people on the small speedboat remains unclear.
The high number of deaths raised questions about how the collision occurred. Judicial authorities launched an official investigation.
Evaggelos Kirithras, a diver who participated in the recovery of the bodies that night, told The Associated Press that when he arrived at the scene, he saw 12 bodies lying inside a half-submerged inflatable speedboat. He said the ship did not capsize.
Comparing the injuries to the impact of hitting a wall, Kirithras said, “Most of them had head injuries. I can’t explain how bad the head injuries were.” The diver said he had participated in other rescue and rescue operations with the coast guard in the past, “but this is the first time I have seen this type of force.”
Greek media reported that the report prepared by four forensic physicians who examined the corpses stated that the corpses were seriously injured. The report was not made public.
The exact circumstances of the collision remain unclear. In the first statement made by the coast guard, it was stated that the patrol boat encountered a speedboat heading towards Chios Island without navigation lights. He said the speedboat ignored sound and light signals to stop and suddenly changed direction, collided with the patrol boat and capsized.
In the photos published by the coast guard, signs of wear were visible on the right side of the patrol boat. The coast guard’s account could not be independently verified.
Kostas Arvanitis, a left-wing member of the European Parliament, demanded the publication of the images taken from the cameras on the patrol ship and said, “The chase, the collision, the injuries testify to a very violent incident.”
However, officials said that the camera on the ship was not recording at that time.
Speaking in parliament on Friday, Maritime Minister Vassilis Kikilias, who is under the jurisdiction of the coast guard, said the decision not to turn on the camera was taken by the ship’s captain because the migrant boat was already nearby and the long-range thermal imaging camera could not work properly.
“According to the information I received… (the camera’s) function is infrared and long-distance, so even if it were on, there would be no clear records of the collision incident,” Kikilias said, reiterating that any judicial and administrative investigation into the incident would be welcomed.
All but one of the surviving passengers on the approximately 8-foot (26-meter) speedboat were identified as Afghan, while a Moroccan citizen among the injured was arrested on suspicion of immigrant smuggling.
Greece is a major entry point to the European Union for people fleeing conflict and poverty in the Middle East, Africa and Asia. Fatal accidents occur frequently. Many undertake the short but often dangerous crossing from the Turkish coast to the nearby Greek islands in the eastern Aegean. However, increased patrols and pushbacks — Emergency deportations carried out by Greek authorities without allowing asylum applications reduced crossing attempts.
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Kantouris reported from Thessaloniki, Greece
