Rescuers are pursuing a bleak search off the coast of Greece despite dwindling prospects of finding survivors from a crammed fishing boat that overturned and sank on Wednesday, killing at least 78 people and raising concerns that the death toll may rise to 500.
Stella Nanou of the UN refugee agency warned the Greek public network ERT that this "might be the worst maritime tragedy in Greece in recent years." Erasmia Roumana, a different UNHCR representative, called the catastrophe "really horrific."
The survivors were in a very poor psychological state, according to Roumana. She told reporters in the port of Kalamata, "Many are in shock, they are so overwhelmed." "Many worry about the family members or friends they travelled with."
According to police, all 104 survivors were men between the ages of 16 and 40. Most people stayed the night at a port warehouse. The deputy mayor of Kalamata, Giorgos Farvas, stated that they were from Afghanistan, Pakistan, Syria, and Egypt.
"We're generally talking about young males who are extremely mentally exhausted and shocked. Some people passed out as they descended the gangplanks from the ships that had carried them here.
According to officials, some 30 persons who were hospitalised with tiredness and pneumonia are not in immediate danger, and several of them have already been released.
According to reports, the fishing boat, which was being followed by the Greek coastguard, overturned and sank early on Wednesday approximately 50 miles (80 km) off the southern coastal town of Pylos with up to 750 people on board.
"The fishing boat measured 25 to 30 metres in length. Its deck was packed with people, and we suppose that the interior was no different, according to a coast guard spokesman. Ilias Siakantaris, a government spokesman, claimed that smugglers were infamous for "locking people up to maintain control."
According to Greek police and coastguard representatives, "as many as 500" persons may be missing. The lack of more [survivors] has us concerned, according to police inspector Nicolaos Spanoudakis.
"Survivors have been interviewed, and standard procedures are being followed in all EU nations. Currently, everything is conjecture, but we are operating under the premise that up to 500 may be missing. There appeared to be women and children in the hold.
Three days of national mourning have been declared by Greece's interim administration, and election campaigning has been halted ahead of the vote on June 25. The waters west of the Peloponnese peninsula, one of the deepest places in the Mediterranean, were still being searched by two patrol boats, a helicopter, and six other ships in the area.
A coast guard ship carrying victims sailed into nearby Kalamata early on Thursday. Authorities reduced the dead toll from 79 to 78 after an official count.
The coastguard claimed that a surveillance plane from the Frontex agency of Europe had detected the boat on Tuesday, but officials claimed that those on board had repeatedly rejected offers of assistance since the boat had left the Libyan port of Tobruk.
Nikos Alexiou, a coastguard spokesperson, told Skai TV that the vessel was crammed with individuals who declined to accept help from the coastguard in order to travel to Italy. We waited close by in case it required our help, something they had previously declined.
The boat's engine failed just before midnight UK time on Tuesday, and it subsequently crashed. According to coastguard experts, the movement of the passengers may have contributed to the boat's list and overturn. It was believed that no one on board was wearing a life jacket.
The survivors, who are being temporarily kept in a port warehouse until they can be recognised and questioned by Greek authorities, are primarily from Syria, Egypt, and Pakistan, according to the coastguard. According to reports, seven people traffickers had apparently been singled out and were being questioned.
According to officials in the Athens shipping ministry, "human traffickers are always the first to know when something is going wrong and are typically the first to rush to save themselves."
Daniel Esdras, the acting Greek minister of migration, told ERT that survivors would be transported to a migrant camp close to Athens later on Thursday or Friday. He added that Greece would review the survivors' requests for asylum, but that those who were found ineligible for protection would be sent home.
The deceased migrants' bodies were transported to a mortuary outside of Athens, where DNA samples and face images would be gathered to begin the identification procedure. Health officials said that the embassies of the participating countries will offer assistance.
According to government sources, the search effort was scheduled to last until at least Friday morning. They claimed that due to the depth of the international waters where the event happened, there was little likelihood of recovering the sunken vessel.
According to Nikos Spanos, a retired Greek coast guard admiral, "the chances of finding more people alive are minimal." "This kind of antique Libyan fishing boat has been seen before. They have zero seaworthiness. They are simply floating coffins, to put it simply.
In June 2016, a sinking in Crete left at least 320 persons dead or missing, making it the biggest migrant catastrophe in Greek history.
People aboard a ship in difficulty off the coast of Greece alerted Alarm Phone, which runs a trans-European network assisting maritime rescues, late on Tuesday. It claimed to have contacted those on the ship and informed Greek authorities.
One of the primary entry points for refugees and migrants from the Middle East, Asia, and Africa is Greece. A conservative administration that ruled until last month took a tougher line on migrants, erecting walled camps and tightening border procedures.
For those attempting to go to Europe by sea, Libya, which has had little stability or security since a Nato-supported insurrection in 2011, serves as a main launching point. Networks for smuggling people are primarily managed by military groups that have authority over coastal regions.
The central Mediterranean has seen more than 20,000 deaths and disappearances since 2014, making it the most perilous region in the world for migrants and refugees to traverse.
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