2023 Messenia migrant boat disaster
On 14 June 2023, an Italy-bound rusty, aging, overloaded fishing trawler smuggling migrants sank in international waters in the part of the Mediterranean known as the Ionian Sea, off the coast of Pylos, Messenia, Greece. The boat, named Adriana, which had a capacity of 400 people carried an estimated 400 to 750 migrants, mostly from Pakistan, Syria, Palestine, and Egypt, and some from Afghanistan. After departing from Tobruk, Libya, on 10 June, concerns were raised by 13 June, with the vessel then located in the Maritime Search and Rescue (SAR) zone assigned to Greece. The Hellenic Coast Guard (HCG) helicopter and later the HCG vessel ΠΠΛΣ-920 arrived on scene, took aerial photos of the vessel, made offers of assistance that were allegedly refused, then remained there as an observer until the boat capsized and sank. After the Adriana had sunk in the "deepest part of the Mediterranean Sea", the HCG and the military initiated a massive search and rescue operation. One hundred and four men were rescued, and 82 bodies were recovered. By 18 June, officials had acknowledged that over 500 people were "presumed dead."
Aerial photo of the migrant boat taken by HCG | |
| Date | 14 June 2023 |
|---|---|
| Time | 2:04 a.m. (EEST) |
| Location | 80 km (45 nmi) off the coast of Pylos, Greece |
| Casualties | |
| 104 rescued and transferred to Kalamata | |
| Deaths | 82 (confirmed) |
| Missing | Up to 500 presumed dead, including 209 from Pakistan |
By July 2023, investigations by the BBC, the New York Times, The Guardian, German public broadcaster ARD/NDR/Funk and Greek investigative outlet Solomon, together with research agency Forensis research group—a sister organisation of Forensic Architecture, cast doubts on the original reports by the HCG. Based on survivors' interviews, court documents, and sources from the coastguards they found evidence suggesting that the HCG ship may have caused the overcrowded vessel to capsize while attempting to tow it, which HCG denies. The HCG said it was caused by a "commotion" on the vessel. When the Adriana capsized and sank shortly after 2:00 AM (EEST), the only vessel present was the HCG vessel ΠΠΛΣ-920 manned by a team that included four armed special operations coast guards wearing masks.
The European Ombudsman is investigating accusations that European Union (EU) border protection agency, Frontex and the HCG did not take preventative steps to avoid the shipwreck.