Daijiworld Media Network – Athens

Athens, Dec 12: A major humanitarian tragedy unfolded off the coast of Greece as 17 migrants died and 15 others went missing after a boat carrying 34 people capsized near the island of Crete. Only two passengers were pulled out alive, Greek authorities confirmed.

Officials said most of those on board were migrants from Sudan and Egypt. The two survivors told rescuers the vessel had no cover, no food, and no drinking water, and rough seas caused it to lose balance before it went under amid severe weather that battered Crete for two days.

State broadcaster reports said the bodies recovered are undergoing post-mortem tests, with hypothermia or dehydration suspected in several deaths inside the waterlogged vessel.

The boat was first spotted last Saturday afternoon by a Turkish cargo ship, triggering a massive rescue effort involving two Greek coastguard vessels, a Frontex patrol boat, a Super Puma helicopter, a European aircraft, and three nearby ships.

Greek media quoted a local official saying all the victims were young, and that the boat had deflated on both sides, trapping passengers in a cramped, airless space.

Authorities believe engine failure, combined with storms and heavy rain, caused the doomed vessel to sink. The journey had begun last Wednesday from Tobruk in eastern Libya, but the boat went down 26 nautical miles southwest of Crete.

According to AFP, a coastguard spokesperson said survivors reported that 10 people fell into the sea, while the others were found inside the flooded boat. Search operations remain ongoing under coastguard supervision as hopes fade for those still missing.