Athens, Greece (AP) – The Greek Coast Guard said Friday that no trace of the search and rescue operation on an eastern island near the Turkish coast still found, with an immigrant of rubber Tintin Dingtin reportedly sinking, killing seven people and 23 rescued.
The search lasted the next day after survivors told authorities that there were 31 people in the small rubber boat.
The Coast Guard said a Coast Guard patrol boat crossed the vessel about 5 meters (15 feet) long, and in the early morning of Thursday, when it was already on the water, most passengers fell into the sea.
The Coast Guard said Thursday that all the people on board were from Afghanistan. One of the survivors was identified as a 20-year-old man, and the other passengers were identified as driving the boat and arrested on suspicion of immigration smuggling.
Turkish authorities also reported that ships carrying immigrants sank in the same area on Thursday. The Turkish Coast Guard received an emergency call from the immigration ship Thursday morning, the Canadian governor’s office said. Nine bodies were recovered and 25 people were rescued when the loss was reportedly missing.
Greece is one of the main entrances to the European Union that fled the Middle East, Africa and Asia from conflict and poverty, and many often take short but often dangerous journeys from the Turkish coast to nearby Greek islands on inflatable Dinghe Mountains or other small boats. It is impossible for many people, or listed under harsh weather, and fatal accidents are common.
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