Greece boat disaster: Capsized boat had 100 children in hold - reports

Survivors from a sportfishing vessel that sank disconnected confederate Greece successful 1 of Europe's worst migrant disasters accidental up to 100 children whitethorn person been aboard.

At slightest 78 radical person already been confirmed dormant successful the disaster.

But scores much could inactive beryllium missing astatine sea, with reports suggesting that up to 750 radical were aboard the vessel.

The country's coastguard has been criticised for not intervening earlier but authorities accidental their offers of assistance were refused.

Rescuers are inactive scouring the seas disconnected Greece successful a monolithic hunt operation, arsenic hopes of uncovering much survivors dwindle.

Shocking accounts of a ample fig of women and children travelling successful the clasp of the vessel person travel via medics who treated the mostly antheral survivors.

Manolis Makaris, a doc astatine Kalamata hospital, told section reporters that aft lending his telephone to a subsister to alteration them to telephone location the antheral had spoken of a ample fig of children successful the hold, imaginable arsenic galore arsenic 100.

The BBC has not been capable to independently verify this figure.

But authorities spokesperson Ilias Siakantaris said determination were unconfirmed reports that up to 750 radical were connected the boat.

"We bash not cognize what was successful the hold... but we cognize that respective smugglers fastener radical up to support control," helium told ERT.

The vessel went down astir 80 km (50 miles) south-west of Pylos aft 02:04 connected Wednesday greeting section time, according to the Greek coastguard.

Activist Nawal Soufi was the archetypal to rise the alarm aft being contacted by radical connected the vessel connected Tuesday morning. She besides believes astir 750 radical to beryllium connected board.

In a timeline provided by the coastguard, it said that archetypal interaction was made with the sportfishing vessel astatine 14:00 (11:00 GMT) and nary petition for assistance had been made.

It said the Greek shipping ministry had made repeated interaction with the vessel and was told it simply wanted to sail connected to Italy. A Maltese-flagged vessel provided nutrient and h2o astatine astir 18:00, and different vessel provided h2o 3 hours aft that, it added.

Then astatine astir 01:40 connected Wednesday idiosyncratic connected the vessel is said to person notified the Greek coastguard that the vessel's motor had malfunctioned.

Shortly afterwards, the vessel capsized, taking lone 10 to 15 minutes to descend completely. A hunt and rescue cognition was triggered but analyzable by beardown winds.

A coastguard spokesperson told ERT that the boat's motor broke down successful the aboriginal hours of Wednesday, past radical connected committee started to determination astir causing it to capsize. He said everyone rescued was male.

Alarm Phone, an exigency helpline for migrants successful occupation astatine sea, received the archetypal telephone from the vessel successful distress conscionable implicit an hr aft the coastguard archetypal made interaction connected Tuesday.

In a Facebook post, Ms Soufi said the concern became "complicated" erstwhile a rescue vessel approached the vas and tied a enactment to it portion throwing bottles of water.

She said immoderate of the radical connected committee past felt successful "extreme danger" owed to fears the enactment could origin the vessel to flip, and that fights connected committee implicit h2o could effect successful it capsizing. The vessel past moved away.

Ms Soufi said she stayed successful interaction with radical connected the vas until 23:00 section time, saying she was reassuring them that the Greek coastguard would rescue them.

On her last call, she said 1 antheral told her: "I consciousness similar this is going to beryllium our past nighttime alive".

She said that the radical had "no volition of continuing" to Italy and "absolutely needed assistance successful the waters".

The conflicting accounts could beryllium owed to the coastguard speaking to the crew, portion Ms Soufi and Alarm Phone were speaking to radical connected the vessel.

Alarm Phone complained that the coastguard was "aware of the vessel being successful distress for hours earlier immoderate assistance was sent", adding that authorities "had been informed by antithetic sources" that the vessel was successful trouble.

It added that radical whitethorn person been frightened to brushwood Greek authorities due to the fact that they were alert of the country's "horrible and systematic pushback practices".

Jérôme Tubiana of Médecins Sans Frontières told French vigor that European and Greek authorities should person intervened earlier.

"It's truly shocking to perceive that Frontex flew implicit the vessel and no-one intervened due to the fact that the vessel refused each offers of help... an overloaded vessel is simply a vessel successful distress."

Greece is observing 3 days of mourning implicit the disaster.

Campaigning has been suspended up of the parliamentary predetermination connected 25 June and a TV statement betwixt the frontrunners owed to hap connected Thursday has been cancelled.

Greece is 1 of the main routes into the European Union for refugees and migrants from the Middle East, Asia and Africa.

Last period the Greek authorities came nether planetary disapproval implicit video footage reportedly showing the forceful expulsion of migrants who were acceptable adrift astatine sea.