Survivors of a tragic migrant shipwreck off the coast of Greece in June, which resulted in the loss of hundreds of lives, have filed a lawsuit against the Greek authorities. They accuse the authorities of failing in their duty to protect the lives of those on board the overcrowded fishing trawler.
The ill-fated vessel, carrying an estimated 400-750 people from Pakistan, Syria, and Egypt, sank in international waters off Greece while en route from Libya to Italy. Only 104 men survived, and authorities were able to recover just 82 bodies.
Survivors have described dire conditions on and below deck, including a lack of food and water, and a botched attempt by the Greek coast guard to tow the vessel, which led to its capsizing.
Greek authorities have contended that they had been monitoring the vessel for hours and had not attempted to tow it. According to their account, the boat capsized when the coast guard was about 70 meters away.
A judicial investigation into the incident is currently underway, but it is expected to take more than a year to complete. Over 40 survivors lodged a lawsuit, alleging that the Greek authorities failed to respond promptly and organize a suitable rescue operation. They argue that the vessel was clearly not seaworthy and also call for a thorough and credible investigation into the causes of this tragic incident, which marks one of the deadliest boat disasters in the Mediterranean in recent years.
Additionally, lawyers representing the families of the missing have requested that judicial authorities investigate the possibility of retrieving the sunken boat as part of their inquiry.
