Author: Yannis Suliotis
ATHENS, February 11 (Reuters) – Most of the 15 Afghan migrants who died when their dinghy collided with a coast guard vessel off the Greek island of Chios last week died from head injuries rather than drowning, autopsies seen by Reuters showed.
A criminal investigation has been launched into the collision on February 3, one of Greece’s worst migrant accidents in years, in which a coast guard vessel collided with a small boat carrying about 39 people, causing it to capsize.
The Coast Guard said the migrant vessel was traveling without navigation lights and ignored warnings to stop. The boat allegedly suddenly changed course and hit the patrol vessel. The passengers allegedly fell into the sea.
But testimonies from five survivors reviewed by Reuters contradicted the official account. They said the coast guard gave no advance warning and the boat did not change course. Later, divers found the body inside the boat.
The autopsy results may lead investigators to pay closer attention to the magnitude and nature of the effects.
“Cause of death: severe skull and brain injuries,” a court document seen by Reuters on Wednesday said, with other documents citing accompanying chest injuries. Another said “skull and brain damage and subsequent drowning.”
Photos taken by the Coast Guard after the collision showed minor scratches on the boat. A total of three Coast Guard crew members and 24 migrants were injured.
Moroccan detained on smuggling charges
The Coast Guard spotted the ship before the incident and ordered one of its vessels to approach it, court documents show. One survivor testified that after two years in Turkey, he and his family paid 20,000 euros ($23,725) to sail to Greece.
So far, a 31-year-old Moroccan survivor has been detained awaiting trial on charges including smuggling migrants and causing fatal accidents. He denies the accusations.
Coast Guard officials declined to comment on the case while an official investigation is ongoing.
Greece, which was on the frontline of Europe’s migrant crisis in 2015-16, said it respected international law and its coast guard rescued tens of thousands of people.
Since 2019, however, the country has adopted tougher immigration policies, drawing criticism from human rights groups.
In 2023, hundreds of migrants died in a shipwreck after witnesses said a Coast Guard attempt to tow a trawler failed. A naval court is still investigating the case.
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(Author: Renee Maltezou; Editors: Edward McAllister and Ros Russell)
