Greece boat disaster: Ship tracking casts doubt on Greek Coastguard's account

The BBC has obtained grounds casting uncertainty connected the Greek coastguard's relationship of the migrant shipwreck successful which hundreds are feared to person died.

Analysis of the question of different ships successful the country suggests the overcrowded sportfishing vas was not moving for astatine slightest 7 hours earlier it capsized.

The coastguard inactive claims that during these hours the vessel was connected a people to Italy and not successful request of rescue.

Greek authorities person not yet responded to the BBC's findings.

But the UN has called for an probe into Greece's handling of the disaster, amid claims much enactment should person been taken earlier to initiate a full-scale rescue attempt.

Greek officials support those connected committee said they did not privation assistance and were not successful information until conscionable earlier their vessel sank.

The BBC has obtained a machine animation of tracking information provided by MarineTraffic, a maritime analytics platform.

Their information shows hours of enactment focused connected a small, circumstantial country wherever the migrant vessel aboriginal sank, casting uncertainty connected the authoritative assertion it had nary problems with its navigation.

The sportfishing vessel had nary tracker truthful is not shown connected the map. Neither are coastguard and subject vessels which bash not person to stock their location.

Frontex, the EU's borderline force, says it archetypal spotted the migrant vessel astatine astir 08:00 GMT connected Tuesday and informed the Greek authorities.

Alarm Phone, an exigency hotline for migrants successful occupation astatine sea, accidental they received a telephone astatine 12:17 GMT saying the vessel was successful distress.

We person utilized video and photographs authenticated by BBC Verify, arsenic good arsenic tribunal records and shipping logs, to analyse the question of vessels successful the country successful the pursuing hours.

The Marine Traffic animation shows a vessel called the Lucky Sailor abruptly turning northbound astatine 15:00 GMT.

The proprietor of the Lucky Sailor gave america its log publication and confirmed it had been asked by the Coastguard to attack the migrant vessel and springiness nutrient and water.

About half-an-hour aboriginal astatine 15:35 GMT, the coastguard chopper recovered the migrant boat. Authorities person continued to assertion it was connected a dependable people astatine the time.

But two-and-a-half hours aboriginal astatine astir 18:00 GMT, different vessel, the Faithful Warrior, travelled to the aforesaid country and besides gave supplies to the boat.

The owners of Faithful Warrior referred america to the investigating authorities.

Video has emerged - reportedly changeable from the Faithful Warrior - claiming to amusement supplies being delivered to the migrant vessel via a enactment successful the water. No different ships tin beryllium seen.

BBC Verify checked it and recovered the vas - which is not moving successful the footage - matched the signifier of migrant vessel seen successful photos and the upwind conditions were a lucifer for those reported astatine the time. It's not cognize precisely erstwhile this video was filmed.

Between 19:40 until 22.40, Greek officials primitively claimed the vessel was keeping a "steady people and speed".

Their archetypal connection claimed they observed from a discreet distance, but a close-up representation they aboriginal themselves published - from this time-period - suggests the migrant vessel is not going anywhere.

A authorities spokesperson aboriginal said the coastguard had attempted to committee the vessel to measure the information but that those connected committee removed a enactment that been attached and did not privation help.

All of the shipping enactment of the past 7 hours betwixt was focused astir 1 circumstantial spot, suggesting the migrant vessel had hardly moved.

The standard of the animated representation suggests it travelled little than a fewer nautical miles, which whitethorn beryllium expected of a stricken vas buffeted by the upwind and the waves successful the deepest portion of the Mediterranean Sea.

The actions of radical successful distress, rocking the vessel, would besides person contributed immoderate movement.

During this clip period, Greek officials person insisted it was not successful occupation and was alternatively safely connected its mode to Italy and truthful the coastguard didn't effort a rescue.

At 23:00, the vessel sank with hundreds connected committee and the tracking animation shows a frenzy of ships coming to help.

This included the Celebrity Beyond from which footage of the aftermath of the catastrophe was filmed and aboriginal sent to the BBC.

A luxury yacht, the Mayan Queen, is past instructed to assistance instrumentality immoderate of the 104 survivors ashore.

Those rescued reached the information astatine the larboard of Kalamata but near down a bid of troubling questions astir the full Greek response.