An incredible tragedy with unbelievable scenes is currently taking place off the island of Rhodes in south-eastern Greece, with dozens of migrants jumping into the sea in front of the eyes of stunned locals and tourists. Just 50 meter away from the Zefiry beach, a sailing boat packed with dozens of undocumented migrants trying to enter Greece breaks apart and sinks, leaving some 100 to 150 people to struggle for their life in the sea.
In sheer panic, people jump into the sea and try to swim to the rocky shore. Some were wearing life jackets, the majority does not.
Struggle to survive just a few meters away from the shore
Three dead: A man from Syria, a woman from Erythrea and her 4-year-old child are drowned, their bodies are recovered by professional rescue teams and volunteers who have rushed to the spot to offer help.
Video: Rescue operation
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The scenery seems as if it was staged by a Hollywood director: desperate swimmers struggling for their life, screaming people on a half-sank boat board, children crying in the arms of their rescuers, wind and wild sea…
Dozens of volunteers get into the sea to help the people ashore.
Fishing boats trying to rescue, throw swimming rings.
Residents rush to the spot with towels and blankets.
Video: rescue operation
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According to local media, the boat arrived at around 9 o’ clock this morning, hit to the rocks, broke apart and sank within 10 minutes. According to local media, the boat crew left the area on a jet ski.
Video: the boat spotted earlier with video shooters wondering if it was carrying “tourists”.
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The boat was carrying some 100 – 150 migrants, with the majority of the rescued to declare that they are Syrian refugees.
Nine women, three children and eleven men have been taken to hospital with hypothermia. Lots of women and children were reportedly on the boat.
Two smugglers, 26 and 27 years old have been arrested. The men had mingled with rescued migrants, but were recognized by the sister of the woman who was drowned.
The incident occurs just two days after a boat sank off Lambedusa island in Italy, taking the lives of estimated 700 – 950 migrants, while latest reports speak of another “tragedy in the Mediterranean with 300 victims.”
The war zones in the Middle East and Africa have been sending hundreds of refugees to Europe each and every day through the sea way, turning the Mediterranean Sea into a cemetery of desperate souls.
The EU Foreign Affairs Council is to meet today in Luxembourg to discuss migration. An EU emergency summit will follow, then measures may be taken.
PS I suppose, the EU will have to calculate first how much it will exactly cost to take measures and avoid such tragedies.
sources: rodiaki.gr, rodospress.gr, rodosreport.gr
The main culprit in the lack of EU rescue policy is the extreme right wing Home Secretary of the UK. Britain is the principal country that believes we should leave people to drown, so as to discourage future immigration of mostly refugees from Syria…
This is a typical right wing position on migration and asylum; it was more or less the position of Samaras, who thought it was a good idea to imprison asylum seekers and treat them so badly that no more would arrive in Greece. (Note: the difference between these opinions and the Nazis is not so great…)
oh, Germany thinks the same: let people deqon to discourage future immigration
Theresa May’s days in power are numbered.