A Greek news website has published excerpts from the depositions of two survivors of Wednesday's deadly shipwreck off southwestern Greece, in which more than 500 people are feared drowned after an overcrowded boat carrying as many as 750 migrants went down in international waters.
Passengers on the ill-fated trawler had to subsist on meager supplies of food and water which ran out several hours before the disaster, two survivors have reportedly testified.
According to Hassan, among the 700 passengers he estimated were on the boat, about 15, including the captain, were working for the people traffickers who organized the crossing. They were the only ones who could move around the boat. Hassan, who had initially been placed below deck, had to pay 10 euros to one of the 15 to move him up to the deck because he was finding hard to breathe.
Two or three other ships came during the night -- it was early Wednesday by then -- and helped. The survivors, none of whom were wearing lifejackets, were taken to the port of Kalamata, where they were given water, Hassan said. Shown pictures of the survivors, he identified seven as working for the traffickers. Greek authorities have so far arrested nine individuals suspected on taking part in trafficking.
Rana testified that the trawler departed Libya early Friday, June 9. After three days at sea, the engine stopped and one of the crew repaired it repeatedly, but the engine malfunctioned several times. Both men described in detail how they ended up on the boat. Hassan was living in a suburb of the Syrian capital Damascus, where he had returned after working for three years in Lebanon.
Canada Latest News, Canada Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Greek coast guard defends actions as up to 500 migrants feared dead in shipwreckGreece\u0027s coast guard defended its actions in responding to a ship carrying hundreds of migrants that ended up sinking off the south coast
Read more »
Search for survivors, bodies from sunken migrant boat continues in Mediterranean off GreeceGreek authorities continued their search and rescue operation following the sinking of a trawler overcrowded with migrants
Read more »
Search for survivors, bodies from sunken migrant boat continues in Mediterranean off GreeceGreek authorities continued their search and rescue operation following the sinking of a trawler overcrowded with migrants
Read more »
Greek leader blasts critics of rescue effort for sunken migrant vesselAuthorities continued to search Saturday for victims and survivors of a trawler that sank off the coast of Greece with as many as 750 migrants on board, as conservative leader Kyriakos Mitsotakis blasted critics of the rescue operation.
Read more »
Did migrants reject help before deadly Greek wreck, or beg for it? Coast guard, activists disagreeActivists, migration experts and opposition politicians have criticized Greek authorities for not acting earlier to rescue a boat of migrants. Here is a timeline of events based on reports from Greek authorities, a commercial ship, and activists who said they were in touch with passengers.
Read more »
Woman dead after two-vehicle crash in Brampton, Peel police sayThe collision happened at Kennedy Road South and Steeles Avenue East on Friday afternoon.
Read more »