The bodies of two women and the two children were recovered after the vessel capsized late last night near the area of Psalidi. According to the Coast Guard, the accident was “likely caused by operator error.”
So far, 27 survivors have been rescued from the sea, and efforts are ongoing to locate any other missing passengers. Rescuers believe the boat was carrying a total of 31 people when it sank.
Violeta Beats Molenda, a paediatrician on the island, gave a harrowing account of the aftermath of the shipwreck. Speaking to newsit.gr, she described the heartbreaking scenes:
“They called me in the afternoon to say there had been a shipwreck and that the ambulance would be bringing victims. When I arrived at the emergency room, I found two dead children, aged four and five. Then they brought in a baby, soaked through, freezing and bruised. I quickly removed his wet clothes and warmed him up with dry clothes. His little body came back to life, and he even smiled at me—calm, warm, and happy. But I’ll never forget the two dead children I saw. It makes you wonder, what kind of world is this?”
Separate shipwreck near Gavdos: 10 missing
In another incident, 96 migrants were rescued from a sinking cargo ship 21 nautical miles south of Gavdos. Search operations are still underway to locate at least 10 missing individuals. Two Coast Guard vessels, six floating ships, and a navy helicopter have been deployed as part of the rescue efforts coordinated by the Unified Center for Search and Rescue.
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