Migrants say boat capsized due to Greek Coast Guard towing

Migrants aboard the boat before it crashed. Credit: Greek Coast Guard/Reuters

Survivors of a migrant tragedy that killed hundreds of people. drowned off the coast of Greece, they say that their boat capsized after the coast guard tied a rope and tried to tow it.

In statements given to Greek court officials investigating the disaster, the survivors accused the Greek Coast Guard of tying a rope to the bow of the former fishing trawler and beginning to tow it, picking up speed.

They said. the trawler, carrying up to 750 migrants and refugees, began to veer from left to right before suddenly capsizing in the early hours of 14 June. Survivors said the rescue ship was at fault. One Syrian said that he and others on board shouted «Stop!» after the coast guard tied the cable and began to pull the trawler.

The claims are contradicted by the Coast Guard and the Greek government, who claim that no attempt was made to tow the boat.

&# 39;People lay on top of each other, people screaming, the survivor said. Photo: Greek Coast Guard/Reuters. away.

A day later, the Coast Guard changed its story, stating that its patrol boat did indeed tie a rope to the trawler, but only so that it could come ashore to communicate with the migrants and assess whether they needed help.

It also said that those on board screamed that they did not want to be rescued, but wanted to get to Italy.

Two other survivors interviewed by Reuters also told the towing episode.

Rescued migrants inside a warehouse used as a shelter. Photo: Angelos Tsortsinis/Reuters

One of them, who identified himself only as Mohamed, said: “They quickly pulled us out and the boat capsized. He moved right, left, right. People started falling on top of each other.

“People were lying on top of each other, people were screaming, people were drowning each other. It was night and there were waves. It was scary.”

The trawler started off near Tobruk in Libya, picking up hundreds of migrants and heading across the Mediterranean.

The smugglers threw away bottles of water so they could that it's a way to get more on board.

They said they paid between $4,500 and $6,000 (£4,720) for the trip. The three said they paid between 50 and 200 euros (£171) extra for seats on the outer deck, which were considered safer.

The rusty trawler passed 50 miles south of the Greek coast. when it capsized in the Ionian Sea.

Only 104 migrants survived. So far, 82 bodies have been recovered. Hundreds more are believed to be stuck inside the sunken ship lying on the seabed.