Greek authorities have launched legal proceedings against 17 coastguard officers over a migrant shipwreck that left hundreds dead, in what is described as the worst such disaster in the country’s history.
The vessel, which had departed from the Libyan city of Tobruk and was bound for Italy, was carrying more than 750 people, according to UN estimates. Only 104 survived, and 82 bodies were recovered.
Lawyers representing the survivors said on Friday that charges have been filed against coastguard personnel, including the then-head of the force and two maritime safety officers on duty that night.
Survivors allege that the Greek coastguard failed to respond promptly to calls for help, despite warnings from the EU border agency Frontex and the NGO Alarm Phone. They claim the coastguard began towing the vessel only hours later, at which point it capsized and sank about 47 nautical miles off the coast of Pylos.
The boat was carrying migrants from Syria, Palestine, and around 350 from Pakistan.
Lawyers also criticised the authorities for sending only a patrol boat from Crete, rather than deploying a larger rescue tug from the nearer port of Gythio.
They added that the patrol boat’s data recorder was damaged and not repaired until two months later, with no video footage from the operation available.
