In the eastern Aegean, a deadly collision involving a migrant speedboat and a Greek coast guard patrol vessel has prompted new scrutiny of how the incident happened, including questions about the severity of injuries and whether equipment aboard the patrol boat recorded the collision.
Diver Evaggelos Kirithras, who took part in the body recovery during the night of the collision, told The Associated Press that when he arrived at the scene he saw 12 bodies lying inside a semisubmerged inflatable speedboat. He said the vessel had not capsized, and that “most of them had head injuries,” adding, “I can’t describe how bad the head injuries were,” comparing the injuries to the impact of hitting a wall. Kirithras said it was the first time he had seen such force in rescue and recovery operations with the coast guard.
Authorities were still searching for potentially missing people as of Friday, three days after the collision off the coast of the island of Chios. The AP reported that 15 people were killed and 26 were injured, including 11 children and two coast guard officers, while the total number of people on board the small speedboat remained unclear.
The death toll and the large number of survivors have fueled questions about the circumstances of the incident. Greek judicial authorities have launched an official inquiry, and details about what happened during the approach and collision have remained contested.
The coast guard’s account, given in an initial statement, described its patrol boat coming across the speedboat as it traveled toward Chios without navigation lights. The coast guard said the speedboat ignored sound and light signals to stop, then “suddenly changed direction,” colliding with the patrol boat and capsizing.
Photos released by the coast guard showed signs of abrasion on the patrol boat’s right side, but the coast guard’s account could not be independently verified. Kirithras’s description of the scene, including that he believed the speedboat had not capsized, added another layer to the uncertainty.
Questions also emerged about whether video footage existed from cameras aboard the patrol vessel. Kostas Arvanitis, a left-wing member of the European Parliament, said in remarks reported by AP that the pursuit and collision showed “a very violent incident,” and he demanded that any footage be published, Reuters?—AP. Authorities said the camera had not been recording at the time, and Arvanitis pushed for public release.
Speaking in parliament Friday, Maritime Affairs Minister Vassilis Kikilias said the decision not to switch on the camera was made by the vessel’s captain because the migrant boat was already nearby and the long-range thermal imaging camera would not have worked properly. Kikilias said the camera’s function was infrared and long-distance, and that even if it had been switched on, it would not have provided clear recordings of the collision event, according to his remarks.
A report prepared by four coroners who examined the bodies indicated the deaths involved severe injuries, Greek media said, but the report had not been made public. While details of the findings were not released, Kirithras said his own observations aligned with head injuries being widespread among those who died.
All but one of the surviving passengers on the roughly 8-meter (26-foot) speedboat were identified as Afghans, and one Moroccan national among the injured has been arrested on suspicion of migrant smuggling. Greece is a major entry point into the European Union for people fleeing conflict and poverty, and fatalities in sea crossings are a recurring risk in the route from the Turkish coast to nearby Greek islands in the eastern Aegean.
The incident continues to be investigated as authorities and lawmakers press for answers about the interception and the conditions of the collision, including whether equipment aboard the patrol vessel could have captured what occurred.