Greece boat disaster: ‘People are waiting for any piece of good news’

Shaheen Sheikh Ali knew thing atrocious had happened erstwhile helium saw frantic enactment successful a household WhatsApp group.

Four antheral relatives, each nether the property of 30, are suspected of being connected committee the sportfishing vessel that sank successful the Mediterranean, 80km disconnected the Greek coast.

"People are waiting for immoderate portion of bully news," helium told the BBC. But they're each fearing the worst.

The 31-year-old present lives successful Germany but he's Syrian and from the bulk Kurdish metropolis of Kobane. He knows of 12 radical who are believed to person been connected the boat.

It's 1 of the worst migrant tragedies successful caller years with astir 80 radical dormant and astatine slightest 100 rescued. But it's suggested that arsenic galore arsenic 750 radical whitethorn person packed onto the boat, including 100 children.

"We hadn't heard from them for days and didn't adjacent cognize if they were connected the boat," said Mr Ali, adding that the group's past interaction with relatives backmost successful Syria took spot astir a week ago.

Since 14 June, helium and his household person received conflicting quality astir whether the radical is dormant oregon alive.

"In incidents similar this, you can't cognize for definite whether idiosyncratic is dormant oregon alive. One connection tin destruct the morale of the full family," helium said.

For British Pakistani writer Raja Faryad Khan, it's bully quality - his 22-year-old nephew Adnan Bashir is 1 of the fewer survivors,

But his alleviation is tinged with sadness arsenic up to 16 radical from his colony successful Pakistan-administered Kashmir could person been connected the boat.

Mr Khan travelled from the UK to the Greek larboard metropolis of Kalamata to conscionable his nephew but was lone allowed a fewer moments with him by the information guard.

"(My nephew) said the vessel was shaking and it became 1 sided, and past the vessel was conscionable gone into the sea," said Mr Khan.

Back successful Germany, Mr Ali is surviving with the agony of uncertainty arsenic helium describes the travel his relatives took.

They were smuggled from Syria to Lebanon earlier flying to Libya wherever they stayed for 40 days waiting for a accidental to transverse the Mediterranean Sea and scope Italy.

According to Mr Ali, the radical paid astatine slightest $5,000 each to the smugglers, but this didn't prevention them from harsh attraction by their hosts.

"The smugglers picked them up from the airdrome and chucked them anyplace they could," helium said.

He says his relatives were placed successful a "block of concrete" with nary furnishings and had to slumber connected blankets laid retired connected the hard floor.

The past clip helium spoke to anyone from the radical was aboriginal June, erstwhile immoderate of his relatives hinted that a crossing could beryllium imminent.

"They told maine they would permission soon due to the fact that the upwind was blistery and the oversea was calm enough," Mr Ali recalled.

His relatives shared photos that raised alarm bells. "I saw expressions of sadness successful their eyes but it could besides person been fatigue."

What makes his symptom deeper is that helium himself risked his beingness to flight the warfare successful Syria successful 2016.

But helium said that astatine that time, it was overmuch easier for radical to scope Europe, arsenic much migration routes were available.

Mr Ali crossed the Turkish borderline earlier mounting disconnected connected a overmuch shorter vessel travel to Greece.

"I took a dingy to get to Greece but it was a 4km journey," helium said. "When we left, we could spot the lights from immoderate of the Greek islands."

The region from Libya to Italy is astatine slightest 725km. Another quality pointed retired by Mr Ali is that the passengers connected his dinghy each had beingness jackets.

The Greek coastguard has said nary of the radical connected committee the capsized sportfishing vessel were wearing them.

Mr Ali tin easy spot himself successful his relatives' shoes though, imagining what they "must person been thinking" earlier getting connected the sportfishing boat.

"You don't cognize what volition happen. You interest idiosyncratic mightiness die, idiosyncratic mightiness autumn off," helium said. "No substance however I try, I can't picture however I consciousness successful narration to this tragedy."

The 31-year-old is disgusted astatine the relation played by smugglers, whom helium accuses of "treating radical similar meat".

"I ideate those smugglers bash not adjacent number however galore radical they are putting connected a boat. They don't attraction astir the consequences."

And past an entreaty for much knowing and solidarity.

"People request safer routes. No 1 volition ever halt migration, neither European countries oregon anyone," helium said.

"My relatives were lone dreaming of coming to Europe to enactment and assistance their families."