The tragedy involving migrants that occurred off the coast of Chios on Tuesday evening has already become headline news in international media, which reported the collision between the speedboat vessel carrying migrants and the patrol boat of the Coast Guard, citing coast guard announcements and information from Greek media outlets.
Read: Mourning in Chios: Unborn children carried by two injured migrant women declared dead
Chios tragedy becomes international news
Independent: At least 14 dead in migrant boat collision with Coast Guard vessel off Greek shores
At least 14 people lost their lives after a collision between a speedboat carrying migrants and a Greek coast guard patrol vessel off Chios in the eastern Aegean, late Tuesday. A major search and rescue operation involving patrol boats, a helicopter and divers is currently underway in the area. Twenty-four migrants were rescued and transported to hospital in Chios. Two coast guard officers were also injured in the incident and taken for medical care. The full number of injured survivors among the migrants remains unclear.
Reuters: Fourteen migrants dead off Greece after boat collision with coast guard
Fourteen migrants died in the Aegean Sea off Greece on Tuesday after their boat collided with a coast guard vessel off Chios, the coast guard announced. A coast guard official said they spotted a boat carrying migrants toward Chios, which is located just a few miles from Turkey’s shores, and ordered them to turn back. “The smugglers maneuvered toward the coast guard vessel causing a collision,” the official told Reuters.
Associated Press: Speedboat with migrants and Greek coast guard vessels collision leaves at least 14 dead
… Greece serves as a major entry point to the European Union for people fleeing conflict and poverty in the Middle East, Africa and Asia. Fatal accidents are a frequent occurrence. Many attempt the short but often dangerous crossing from Turkish shores to nearby Greek islands in the eastern Aegean. However, increased patrols and allegations of pushbacks – summary deportations without allowing asylum applications – by Greek authorities have reduced crossing attempts.
Greece, along with several other European Union countries, has tightened its immigration regulations. In December, the European Union revised its migration system, including streamlining deportations and increasing detentions.
TORONTO STAR: Speedboat with migrants and Greek coast guard vessels collision leaves at least 14 dead
ATHENS, Greece (AP) — A collision between a speedboat carrying migrants and a Greek coast guard patrol vessel off Chios in the eastern Aegean resulted in the death of at least 14 people, according to a coast guard announcement late Tuesday, while a search and rescue operation involving patrol boats, a helicopter and divers is underway for possible missing persons.
BBC: Fourteen migrants dead after collision with Greek coast guard vessel
At least 14 migrants lost their lives when a speedboat carrying them collided with a Coast Guard vessel off the shores of Chios late Tuesday. Greek authorities said the speedboat made dangerous maneuvers and that a chase was underway at the time of the collision in the Chios Strait, near the village of Vrontados. Twenty-four people were rescued, some of whom were seriously injured, while others are reportedly still missing. The coast guard has not yet clarified the exact circumstances surrounding the collision.
