At least 22 migrants have died while attempting to reach Europe from Libya in North Africa, their boat adrift off the Greek coast. The tragic incident occurred after they drifted at sea for six days without food or water, according to the Greek Coast Guard. The majority of the deceased were citizens of Bangladesh and Sudan, as reported by the survivors from the boat.
The Coast Guard stated that a European border agency vessel rescued 26 individuals, including one woman and one child, near the island of Crete. It was later confirmed that among the survivors were 21 Bangladeshis, four South Sudanese, and one Chadian national.
According to accounts from the rescued individuals, smugglers instructed them to throw the bodies of the deceased into the sea when food and water supplies ran critically low during the journey. The boat had departed from the port of Tobruk in eastern Libya on March 21, bound for Greece.
Greek authorities reported that the vessel had been adrift for six days, and adverse weather conditions exacerbated the situation, leading to the deaths of 22 people due to exhaustion and starvation.
Two South Sudanese nationals, aged 19 and 22, have been arrested on suspicion of involvement in the incident. They are currently under investigation for illegal entry and death caused by negligence.
According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), 559 people have died attempting to cross the Mediterranean in the first two months of 2024 alone, more than double the number recorded during the same period last year.
Analysts suggest that such accidents continue to occur because this perilous route to Europe remains the only hope for many migrants.
Sources: The Guardian, AFP.
