LONDON: Pakistanis on board the fishing boat that capsized and sank off Peloponnese in southern Greece may have been singled out and forced below deck, with hundreds of passengers feared dead, international media reported.
According to a report published by Guardian, survivor accounts told to Greek coastguards suggest that passengers on the vessel were divided by nationality, with Pakistanis as well as women and children forced below deck into the hold.
The report, quoting leaked testimonies of survivors, stated that Pakistanis were forced below deck, with other nationalities allowed on the top deck, where they had a far greater chance of surviving a capsize.
“The testimonies suggest women and children were effectively locked up in the hold, ostensibly to be protected by men on the overcrowded vessel,” it stated.
Survivors said Pakistani nationals were mistreated by crew members when they appeared from below deck “in search of fresh water or tried to escape”.
As a result of the decision to keep women and children below deck, the report stated none are believed to have survived the sinking. The report further stated that at least 298 Pakistanis died, 135 from the Pakistani side of Kashmir.
“One estimate indicated about 400 Pakistanis were on board”, it added. The country’s ministry of foreign affairs has so far confirmed that only 12 of the 78 survivors were from Pakistan.
“Conditions on the boat were so bleak that even before it sank there had already been six deaths after it ran out of fresh water,” the report further stated.
Questions also mounted over whether the Greek coastguard “covered up” its role in the tragedy. The Greek government said no request for help was sent from the vessel because passengers had set Italy as their ideal destination, citing survivor testimony.
However, Nawal Soufi – a Moroccan-Italian activist – said some on board the boat had begged to be rescued, though it is unclear whether their requests were forwarded by the crew to the Greek coastguard.
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Another controversy centers around the use of a rope to stabilise the vessel by the Greek coastguard, with allegations that it had led to the capsizing by shifting weight.
The coastguard initially denied that it had used the rope, saying it kept a “discreet distance” from the boat, but a government spokesman later retracted the claim.
Maurice Stierl of the Institute for Migration Research and Intercultural Studies said: “The Hellenic coastguard speaks of a sudden shift in weight. So, what caused the sudden shift in weight? Was there a panic on board?
“Did something happen during the attempt to provide them with something? Or was it towed? And due to this towing, did the boat go down?”
500 still missing, says UN
The UN human rights office said that up to 500 people are still missing from a migrant boat that sank off Greece.
The spokesman Jeremy Laurence said that large numbers of women and children were among those missing in the “horrific tragedy” that left 78 people dead. He added that the appalling loss of life underscored the need to bring people smugglers to justice.
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A total of 104 passengers were rescued and sent to Kalamata, Greece.
The people rescued so far included 43 Egyptian nationals, 47 Syrian nationals, 12 Pakistani nationals, and two Palestinians, the Hellenic Coast Guard were quoted by international media outlets. Eight of those rescued were minors.
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