The Inconsistencies of the Refugee Tragedy – A Descent to Hell in the Mediterranean Canada Investigates the “Titan” Tragedy

Excruciating narrowness, hunger and thirst, bloody stabbings – and then the sinking. The conditions on board the fishing boat that sank off the coast of Greece last week, carrying hundreds of people with it, were apparently hard to imagine.

It is now clear that about 350 people from Pakistan were on the ship. This was announced by the government in Islamabad on Friday. Meanwhile, there are new, unanswered questions about the course of the accident and the role of the Hellenic Coast Guard.

The public prosecutor’s office in the Greek port of Kalamata started questioning nine survivors of the boat accident at the beginning of this week. The men are said to be helpers of the smugglers who organized the crossing.

104 men were rescued alive immediately after the accident by the Hellenic Coast Guard and passing merchant vessels. The actual number of victims runs into the hundreds. It is unclear how many people were on board the fishing boat en route from Tobruk in Libya to Italy. The survivors’ information varies between 400 and 750. The migrants came mainly from Syria, Pakistan and the Palestinian territories.

Conflicting statements about the course of events

The decrepit fishing trawler capsized off the southwest coast of Greece’s Peloponnese peninsula on Wednesday night and sank within minutes. It is still unclear what happened in the hours before the accident and how the sinking came about.

Spokesmen for the Greek Coast Guard and survivors give conflicting accounts about what happened. According to a report from the internet portal cnn.gr, at least eight rescued people said another ship had tried to tow the cutter – it’s unclear whether it was a merchant vessel or a Coast Guard vessel. The cutter capsized during the towing attempt.

The Greek authorities tell a different story. Coastal watchman Nikos Alexiou emphatically denied any attempt was made to tow the boat. A rope was thrown at the cutter by a Coast Guard patrol boat late Tuesday night. However, from there there were calls “No help, go to Italy”. After five minutes, people on the cutter untied the rope and threw it into the sea. That was around 11:57 PM.

The Coast Guard spokesman said it would have been far too dangerous to tow the ship without the crew’s permission and assistance, or to pull hundreds of people off an overcrowded ship against their will. According to the Coast Guard, the cutter suddenly listed at 01:47 without outside influence. Screams, tumult and calls for help could be heard on board. The boat sank a few minutes later.

Unprecedented promises

Passengers are said to have paid between $4,000 and $6,500 per person for the promised crossing. Survivors reported being very concerned from the start. People were literally crammed on top of each other on the boat. The crew locked women and children in the holds below deck. As soon as it left Tobruk, the overloaded cutter wriggled its way and continued to tilt back and forth, survivors said.

The smugglers promised to reach Italy within two days, survivors report. Instead, it turned out to be a great ride. The machine stopped again and again. By the fifth day, the cutter had covered only half the distance. There was no drinking water or food on board and survivors reported that several people were already unconscious.

On Tuesday, there were apparently violent clashes on board the cutter between the 15 men of the crew who wanted to continue their way to Italy and the migrants, who were becoming increasingly desperate. Fighting is said to have broken out in which six people were killed or seriously injured by stabbings.

(aargauerzeitung.ch)