The Greek coast guard may have sunk a ship full of migrants in June

There are more and more signs that the Greek coast guard is not telling the truth about what happened to the ship that sank off the Greek coast on June 14 with hundreds of migrants on board, but the coast guard itself can confirm that. The ship sank and at least 500 people went missing, most of them probably dead. The GuardianBased on a joint investigation by the German ARD/NDR/Funk and the Greek fact-finding portal Salomon

It is believed that the coast guard tried to tow the moored vessel in open water and as a result it somehow sank. Several survivors mentioned this in their reports, which is confirmed by a 3D model of the ship’s movements before the disaster. According to Coast Guard reports and surveillance data, the ship carrying the migrants languished in the open sea for several hours until it approached a Coast Guard vessel. The ship headed west, then stopped again for an hour before sinking. Survivors said a coast guard vessel approached their ship and told those on board that they were being taken to Italy. Then they may try to pull the ship the first time, then there is a pause when the ship stops, followed by another attempt to pull, after which the ship sinks.

The reality of the tow was reported by many survivors, many spoke of how the “Greek Army” (ie the Coast Guard) threw a rope, and a 3D model showed how some tried to tow them. . Although the engine was not running, those on board reported that the ship suddenly moved as if it had been “propelled by a rocket”. This sensation lasted for about 10 minutes, and after a while, the ship began to sink. According to some survivors, it is not known where they want to tow the ship, whether to international waters or to another country’s waters, where Greek authorities no longer have to deal with them.

The Coast Guard, which vehemently denies trying to tow the boat, said the boat headed west. But this is not the first time The Coast Guard did not include the story. Based on observations from surrounding ships, it has already appeared in the press that the ship full of migrants was at sea for several hours or moved only until the waves carried it away. The Coast Guard, on the other hand, said they did not provide assistance earlier as the vessel was not in need and was on its way to its destination, the Italian coast, without any problems.

The Guardian also writes that there are many signs that the Greek authorities tried to silence the survivors. After they were rescued, many said they had taken their phones, which contained many recordings of the tragedy. Based on survivors’ statements to the Coast Guard and later to the Greek Prosecutor’s Office, there is strong suspicion that the Coast Guard altered the survivors’ statements. For example, when two survivors told prosecutors that their boat had been towed, which may have led to the tragedy, the same two told them that the boat sank because there were too many people on board, according to Coast Guard records. . And, according to Coast Guard records, the two reports were word-for-word identical. The Greek Coast Guard declined to comment to the Guardian, saying it was still under investigation.

According to estimates, the ship that sank on June 14 may have had 750 people on board, most of them from Pakistan. 104 people survived the shipwreck.