Tragedy off Pylos: 75 migrants dead in fishing boat collision - 104 rescued

Death toll now at 75 while Greek President heads to Kalamata as search continues.

A fishing boat collided with a vessel carrying immigrants in international waters ​​47 nautical miles southwest of Pylos, leaving at least 75 dead and 104 rescued.

There is fear, however, that the number of dead will rise as concerns are expressed about migrants trapped in the holds of the fishing vessel.

According to Proto Thema, the migrants on board the fishing boat that sank under unclear circumstances so far were from Afghanistan, Pakistan, Syria and Palestine.

The migrants did not know how to swim, while none of the rescued people brought a life jacket, the outlet reported. The fishing vessel had started from Tobruk, Libya, and was bound for Italy.

It was first spotted at around 8pm on Tuesday. This is when the vessel was first approached by a Frontex boat and also by the Greek Coast Guard. Help was offered to the migrants as the boat was full.

The migrants aboard the boat reportedly refused the help offered to them and said they wanted to continue the journey to Italy.

A few hours later, however, and under so far unclear conditions - winds of 2-3 Beaufort were prevailing in the area, the boat capsised and sank after midnight.

Officials of the Coast Guard estimate that the number of such incidents will increase, since the number of migrants who, either from the Turkish coasts or from North Africa, travel mainly to Italy or Greece to head more easily to Central and Northern Europe increases.

The boats are old and many of them poorly maintained, while the number of passengers is much higher than allowed.

Since early morning, the acting Minister of Shipping and former head of the Coast Guard, Theodoros Kliaris, the head of the Coast Guard Giorgos Alexandrakis and officers of the Corps have been at the Joint Search and Rescue Coordination Centre of the Coast Guard, coordinating the rescue operation.

Mobilisation in Kalamata

Large mobilisation already by all Authorities in the port of Kalamata in an incident that for the first time the city is called upon to manage. Necessary preparations have already been made by the Coast Guard, ambulance services, the municipality of Kalamata, the volunteer groups, in anticipation of the rescued.

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