ATHENS, Greece (AP) — A diver who helped recover bodies from a fatal collision between a boat carrying migrants and a Greek coast guard vessel said Friday that most of the 15 people who died suffered severe head injuries, as questions mounted about the circumstances of the incident.
A search and rescue operation was still underway on Friday for people potentially missing three days after the crash off the coast of the island of Chios in the eastern Aegean. Fifteen people were killed and 26 were injured, including 11 children and two coast guard officers. The total number of people on board the small speedboat is still unclear.
The large number of victims has led to questions about how the crash happened. The judicial authorities launched an official inquiry.
Evaggelos Kirithras, a diver who participated in the recovery of the bodies that night, told The Associated Press that when he arrived at the scene, he saw 12 bodies lying inside a semi-summer inflatable speedboat. The ship had not capsized, he said.
“Many of them had head injuries. I can’t describe how bad the head injuries were,” Kirithras said, comparing the injuries to the impact of crashing into a wall. The diver said that in the past he participated in other rescue and recovery operations with the coast guard, “but this was the first time I saw such a force.”
A report prepared by four coroners who examined the bodies indicated that they suffered serious injuries, Greek media said. The report was not made public.
The exact circumstances of the crash are still unclear. In an initial statement, the coast guard said that its patrol boat had encountered the speedboat which was heading towards Chios without navigation lights. He said that the speedboat ignored sound and light signals to stop, and suddenly changed direction, collided with the patrol boat and overturned.
Photos released by the coast guard showed signs of abrasion on the right side of the patrol boat. The coast guard account could not be independently verified.
“The pursuit, the crash, the injuries testify to a very violent incident,” said Kostas Arvanitis, a left-wing member of the European Parliament, who requested the publication of any footage from cameras on board the patrol vessel.
But the authorities said that the camera on board was not recording at the time.
Speaking in parliament on Friday, Maritime Affairs Minister Vassilis Kikilias, under whose jurisdiction the coast guard is located, said that the decision not to turn on the camera was taken by the ship’s captain because the migrant boat was already nearby and the long-range thermal imaging camera was not working properly.
“As I was informed… the function (of the camera) is infrared and long distance, so even if it was on, it would not have clear recordings of the crash event,” Kikilias said, reiterating that any judicial and administrative investigation into the incident was welcome.
All but one of the passengers who survived aboard the approximately 8-metre (26-foot) speedboat were identified as Afghans, while a Moroccan national among the injured was arrested on suspicion of migrant smuggling.
Greece is a major entry point into the European Union for people fleeing conflict and poverty in the Middle East, Africa and Asia. Fatal accidents are a common occurrence. Many make the short but often dangerous crossing from the Turkish coast to nearby Greek islands in the eastern Aegean. But increased patrols and allegations of pushbacks — summary deportations without allowing asylum applications — by Greek authorities have dampened attempts at crossing.
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Kantouris reported from Thessaloniki, Greece