Bodies of 17 people found in boat off of Greece’s Crete

Greek coastguard says 2 survivors successful captious information person been hospitalised.

The bodies of astatine slightest 17 migrants and asylum seekers person been recovered successful a partially deflated vessel disconnected the Greek land of Crete, according to the country’s coastguard.

The victims, arsenic good arsenic 2 survivors, were discovered connected Saturday, immoderate 26 nautical miles (48km) southwest of Crete.

Recommended Stories

• list 1 of 4Trump plans crackdown connected Somali communities successful Minnesota: What we know
• list 2 of 4Why is work-related migration to affluent countries falling?
• list 3 of 4US pauses visas for each Afghan passport holders, halts asylum requests
• list 4 of 4Peru to state authorities of exigency to artifact Chile borderline crossings

A spokeswoman for the Greek coastguard told the AFP quality bureau that each of the victims were men.

“Two survivors successful captious information person been hospitalised,” the spokeswoman added. “Autopsies person to beryllium carried retired arsenic the circumstances of the sinking are not known.”

The Athens News Agency reported that the vessel was spotted by a Turkish cargo ship, which alerted the authorities. The Greek coastguard rushed 2 vessels to the scene, portion the European Union’s borderline bureau Frontex sent a boat, an craft and a Super Puma chopper to assistance successful the rescue effort.

The coastguard said that the 2 survivors had said their vas had go unstable due to the fact that of atrocious weather, and they had nary mode to screen up, nor to devour oregon portion anything.

The vessel had besides been taking connected h2o erstwhile it was discovered.

Manolis Frangoulis, the politician of Cretan larboard Ierapetra, told reporters that each the victims had been young.

“The vas the migrants were connected was deflated connected 2 sides, which forced the passengers into a reduced space,” helium added.

Coroners are looking astatine the anticipation that the migrants died of dehydration, Greek authorities tv transmission ERT reported.

Over the past year, migrants and asylum seekers person turned their attraction to the Greek land of Crete, successful the eastbound Mediterranean Sea, arsenic a mode of reaching EU territory from Libya, successful North Africa.

According to the United Nations exile agency, UNHCR, much than 16,770 radical seeking asylum successful the EU person arrived determination since the commencement of the year.

In July, Greece’s blimpish government, led by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, suspended asylum hearings for migrants, peculiarly targeting those arriving connected Crete from Libya.

Libya has been gripped by struggle since the 2011 overthrow and sidesplitting of longtime ruler Muammar Gaddafi successful a NATO-backed uprising.