Hundreds of migrants are missing after Wednesday’s boat accident.
Many are feared to remain in the deepest parts of the Mediterranean.
Those who were rescued talk about the minutes before the boat sank.
– It went so quickly, everyone screamed, says Angeliki Doula, psychologist at the aid organization Iasis.
So far, around 80 people have been found dead and many children are feared to have been on board the migrant boat, which capsized off the coast of Greece.
Around 750 people were on the ship and aerial photographs show how the passengers were crowded onto the deck – most without life jackets. The boat is believed to have been on its way from Libya to Italy.
It is the deadliest accident this year, perhaps in many years, and the rescue operation for the hundreds of missing refugees continues.
“Don’t know where their children are”
The hundreds who were rescued are desperately waiting for land.
– Almost everyone has had family with them, some friends and some have gone with their children. Some do not know where their children are, says Eva Tsikrikou, psychologist at the aid organization Thalpos.
– The boat sank very quickly. Everyone screamed. They tried to hold each other. It went so quickly that they have the feeling of being still on board. They don’t feel like they’re here, says Angeliki Doula.
Nine arrested
Greece has announced three days of national mourning to show respect for the victims. From several quarters, demands will now prevent this from happening again.
– The EU must work harder in this area. We must not continue to let people drown in the sea, Sophia Voultepsi, former Deputy Minister of Migration.
Nine people have been arrested, suspected of human smuggling in connection with the migrant disaster, writes TT. Those arrested were among those who survived when the ship sank.