A Greek news website has released excerpts from the testimonies of two survivors of the tragic shipwreck that occurred off the coast of southwestern Greece. It is feared that over 500 people may have drowned after a crowded boat carrying approximately 750 migrants sank in international waters.
According to the survivors, the passengers on the ill-fated trawler had minimal food and water, which ran out several hours before the disaster. Hassan and Rana, 23 and 24 years old respectively, shared their harrowing experiences during the journey.
Hassan, who was traveling alone, revealed that during the four-day voyage from Libya, they were only given meager supplies of food and dirty water. By Tuesday morning, when the passengers began to complain, the provisions had completely run out. Hassan estimated that out of the 700 passengers on the boat, around 15, including the captain, were involved in human trafficking and had control over the boat. Hassan had to pay 10 euros to one of them to be moved to the deck as he found it difficult to breathe in the lower deck.
According to Hassan, the passengers realized that the captain had lost his way and could not reach Italy. After their complaints, it was only on Tuesday night that the captain finally called for help using his satellite phone. When the Greek coast vessel arrived during the night, the trawler capsized and Hassan found himself in the water. He was rescued by the Greek coast guard and taken to the port of Kalamata, where he was given water.
Rana, a Pakistani citizen, testified that he tragically lost his wife and children in the shipwreck. Rana mentioned that the trawler departed from Libya early on Friday, June 9. The engine had stopped repeatedly during the three-day journey, and the crew made several attempts to repair it. Rana stated that on Tuesday, hours before the accident, some Egyptian passengers requested water from a passing commercial ship. However, a fight broke out among the passengers over the limited supply. Eventually, the engine started working again, but it soon stopped, and the crew deliberately shut it down to avoid drawing attention from passing ships.
Rana described the panicked moments when the boat started listing and taking on water. As he jumped into the sea, he managed to stay afloat for a few minutes until he was rescued by a larger ship. Regrettably, his wife and children, who were in a cabin, did not survive.
Both Hassan and Rana provided detailed accounts of how they ended up on the boat. Hassan had been living in Damascus, Syria, but desired to go to Germany. He first flew to Libya where he worked for 40 days before being taken by traffickers to various shelters. On Friday, June 9, a truck transported them to a port where smaller boats ferried them to the old and rusty trawler. Hassan’s father had paid a middleman $4,500, which would be given to the traffickers upon Hassan’s arrival in Italy.
Rana, on the other hand, had paid $8,000 to a fellow Pakistani in Libya, and his brother in Italy would provide the remaining payment for the crossing. Rana received $2,000 back from the $8,000 he had paid, which he was required to give to a person in Libya. The owner of the trawler was revealed to be a compatriot residing in Libya. Rana and his family had traveled to Libya via Dubai and Egypt, spending almost a month in various shelters before ending up in Tobruk, Libya.
104 survivors have been rescued so far, and 78 bodies have been retrieved. However, if the estimated number of migrants on board, 700-750, is accurate, more than 500 people remain missing, and the likelihood of finding additional survivors diminishes with each passing moment.
The testimonies of Hassan and Rana shed light on the dire circumstances faced by migrants seeking a better life, the cruelty of human traffickers, and the urgent need for international intervention to prevent similar tragedies in the future.
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