Fears 100 kids drowned in Greek ship tragedy as Brit worries family among dead | The Sun

SURVIVORS fear that up to 100 children may have been on board a boat that capsized in waters off Southern Greece on Wednesday morning.

At least 78 people have died and up to 500 are missing after the packed vessel sank off the Peloponnese peninsula.



A British man is also worried his relatives are among the hundreds missing as huge numbers of emergency personnel are continuing to scour parts of the Ionian Sea.

Aftab Khan, from Wolverhampton, travelled to Greece following the tragedy in the early hours of Wednesday morning.

He is worried his family are among the 500 or more missing following the horror tragedy.

Nine survivors were arrested yesterday on suspicion of smuggling after the Coastguard brought in 11 suspected smugglers for questioning, describing them as Egyptian nationals.

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One official said of the suspected smugglers: "They know how to hide among survivors. And they're very good at saving themselves.

"The survivors are all men and in a very bad psychological state."

An image shared by the Greek Coastguard showed the decks packed with people, but accounts of a large number of women and children in the hold of the ship have come from medics who treated survivors.

Authorities announced 104 people – all men – had been rescued from the water following the horrifying incident.

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The Italy-bound boat – thought to be carrying up to 750 people – is believed to have sailed from the Tobruk area in eastern Libya before it ran into trouble at around 2am.

So far 78 bodies have been recovered according to the coastguard, with Greece declaring a three-day mourning period.

Greek authorities have been criticized for not acting to rescue the migrants from the overcrowded ship, even though a coast guard vessel moved with the trawler for hours and watched helplessly as it sank in minutes.

Up to 750 people are suspected to have been crammed onboard the 30-metre-long vessel, a European rescue support charity said, although the exact number has not been confirmed.

A senior Greek police official previously told The Sun authorities believed "as many as 500" people could still be unaccounted for.

Chief inspector Nicholas Spanoudakis said: "We have 78 victims and 104 survivors and believe as many as 500 could still be missing.

"Nothing has been confirmed but that is what we believe."

Six coast guard vessels, a navy frigate, a military transport plane, an air force helicopter and several private vessels are continuing the search, with authorities stationed at Kalamata port.

A drone from the European Union border protection agency, Frontex, has also been brought in.


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