Another deadly shipwreck occurred off the coast of the Greek island of Samos in the early hours this morning, according to reports from local news.
Four people have been reported dead, two of whom are children. Sixteen others have reportedly been rescued, but the total number of passengers on the inflatable migrant boat remains unknown. The boat reportedly collided with a rocky shore in the “Spilia Fokia” area.
Rescue operations involving Coast Guard vessels and ground forces are reportedly ongoing.
This marks the second similar tragedy in four days, following a shipwreck on Monday where eight people, including six children, drowned.
The Minister of Shipping and Island Policy, Christos Stylianides, commented on the tragedy on Monday, placing blame on smuggling networks: “I would like to express my deep sorrow for the loss of eight of our fellow human beings, among whom are six young children. This incident confirms, once again, the criminal activity of the networks of traffickers and their accomplices, who, in the face of profit, despise the lives of innocent people, even small children.”
Stylianides stated that the Greek Coast Guard would address, “the great problem of illegal immigration which is now beyond the limits of endurance of the European Union as a whole.”
According to the European border agency, Frontex, the number of irregular border crossings into the European Union fell by 42% in the first nine months of this year.
These migrant boats are usually filled with people fleeing war, poverty, or persecution in parts of the Middle East or Africa, attempting to reach Europe. Many of these people are seeking asylum, which is a protected human right in Greece and the EU.
Deaths along this route are common. Last month two people died in a shipwreck off the coast of Samos, and in September another four people lost their lives.
