After surviving the deadliest boat sinking disaster in the Mediterranean Sea in recent years, survivors of the incident have filed a lawsuit against Greek authorities for negligence in protecting the lives of migrants.
The boat sank off Greece in June while carrying between 400 and 750 people from Pakistan, Syria and Egypt. Only about 104 men survived.
A statement issued by the Hellenic League for Human Rights said on Friday, September 14, that 40 survivors filed a lawsuit complaining that “the Greek authorities failed to intervene immediately and organize an appropriate operation in a timely manner to rescue those on board the boat.”
The statement noted that survivors said the boat was “clearly unseaworthy” and also called for an “immediate, comprehensive and credible investigation” into the causes of the deadliest boat disaster in the Mediterranean in recent years.
Lawyers representing the families of the missing persons submitted a request to the judicial authorities investigating the case to recover the boat.
According to interviews and evidence, survivors recounted horrific conditions on the boat’s deck, with no food or water, and a disastrous attempt by the Greek Coast Guard to tow the boat.
The Greek Coast Guard and government said they had been monitoring the boat for hours and no attempt was made to tow it, which capsized when the coast guard was about 70 meters away.
CNN had previously prepared an investigation in which it reported the testimonies of survivors of the boat disaster and their relatives, questioning the Greek Coast Guard’s version of events, indicating that more lives could have been saved.