Deadly Aegean Collision: Migrant Boat and Greek Coastguard Vessel Clash, Claiming at Least 14 Lives

Greece - Ekhbary News Agency

Deadly Aegean Collision: Migrant Boat and Greek Coastguard Vessel Clash, Claiming at Least 14 Lives

A tragic incident in the Aegean Sea off the Greek island of Chios has resulted in the deaths of at least 14 individuals after a boat laden with migrants and asylum seekers collided with a Greek coastguard vessel. The collision, which occurred around 9 PM local time on Tuesday (19:00 GMT) near Chios’s Mersinidi area, has cast a somber shadow over the ongoing humanitarian crisis in the region, according to reports from Greece’s Athens-Macedonian News Agency (AMNA).

Coastguard officials confirmed that 26 people were successfully rescued from the turbulent waters and subsequently transported to a hospital on Chios for medical attention. Among the survivors were 24 migrants and two Greek coastguard officers. However, the exact number of individuals aboard the migrant speedboat at the time of the collision remains unclear, fueling fears that the death toll could rise as search and rescue operations continue. The uncertainty underscores the often-overcrowded and precarious conditions on vessels used by human traffickers.

Disturbingly, Greek media outlets reported that seven children and a pregnant woman were among those injured and rescued, highlighting the vulnerability of those attempting the dangerous sea crossing. A comprehensive search-and-rescue operation has been mobilized, involving multiple patrol boats, a helicopter, and specialized divers, meticulously scouring the area for any additional survivors or victims. The urgency of these efforts reflects the critical need to account for every person involved in the catastrophe.

Footage circulated by Greece’s Ta Nea newspaper depicted poignant scenes of at least one person being brought from a boat docked alongside a jetty into a vehicle equipped with blue flashing lights, indicative of emergency response efforts. Further details emerged from an unnamed coastguard official who, speaking to Reuters, suggested the collision occurred after the migrant boat “manoeuvred toward” the coastguard vessel, which had previously issued instructions for it to turn back. This account points to a tense and potentially volatile encounter at sea, typical of the challenges faced by border patrol units.

Greece has historically served as a critical gateway for migrants and refugees fleeing conflict, persecution, and poverty in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia, all desperately seeking a new life in Europe. The country bore the brunt of a significant migration crisis in 2015 and 2016, witnessing nearly a million arrivals on its islands, including Chios, from nearby Turkey. While arrivals have decreased in recent years, largely due to Greece’s intensified asylum and migrant policies, which include tightened border controls and increased sea patrols, such tragic incidents serve as stark reminders that the flow of desperate individuals has not ceased.

The nation's handling of migrants and asylum seekers approaching by sea has attracted considerable international scrutiny. This includes a devastating shipwreck in 2023 where hundreds perished, with witnesses alleging the tragedy followed an attempt by the coastguard to tow their overcrowded trawler. Last year, the European Union’s border agency, Frontex, announced it was reviewing 12 cases of potential human rights violations by Greece, including allegations of 'pushbacks' – forcing asylum seekers away from Greek frontiers. Despite these serious accusations, Greece has consistently denied any human rights violations or illegal pushbacks, maintaining its adherence to international law and its commitment to saving lives at sea, even as these complex and often deadly encounters continue to unfold in its waters.

Ekhbary News Agency