Greece Boat Disaster: Survivors say hundreds of Pakistanis locked on lower deck, 135 from Pak-occupied Kashmir

Reports have emerged claiming the maximum number of passengers on the boat that sank in the Mediterranean Sea, last Wednesday, resulting in the death of nearly over 600 people, were Pakistanis and that they were specifically targeted by those in command.

The revelations have been made on the basis of eyewitness accounts of a few who survived. They revealed conditions aboard the boat, raising concerns about whether the Greek coastguard concealed their involvement in the tragic incident.

Survivors’ recent accounts indicate that women and children were compelled to stay in the lower section of the vessel, while certain nationalities were relegated to the most perilous area of the trawler.

Survivors who shared their testimonies with coastguards revealed that Pakistanis were forcibly confined below deck, while individuals of other nationalities were permitted on the upper deck, significantly increasing their chances of survival in the event of a capsizing.

The testimonies further indicate that women and children were essentially locked away in the hold, purportedly for their protection under the supervision of men aboard the overcrowded ship.

Furthermore, it has been discovered that Pakistani nationals were also confined below deck, where crew members mistreated them whenever they sought fresh water or attempted to escape.

Regrettably, no survivors include women or children, and reports from Pakistan on Saturday indicate that hundreds of its citizens may have perished when the dilapidated trawler sank near the Peloponnese peninsula.

Local media disclosed that a minimum of 298 Pakistanis, including 135 from the Pakistani side of Kashmir, lost their lives in this tragedy.

An estimated 400 Pakistani individuals were believed to be on board the trawler. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan has confirmed that out of the 78 survivors, only 12 were from Pakistan.

Boat lacked fresh water

The conditions on the boat were extremely dire, with six deaths occurring even before it sank due to a lack of fresh water.

Nawal Soufi, a Moroccan-Italian social worker and activist, has stated that passengers were pleading for help a day before the sinking.

She testified, “I can personally confirm that these people were desperately seeking assistance from any authority.” Her account contradicts the statement of the Greek government, which claimed that the passengers told the coastguard that they did not require help as they intended to reach Italy.

New testimonies also indicate that the trawler’s engine had malfunctioned several days before it sank, which would have likely prompted the crew to seek assistance.

Engine failed three days ago

According to one migrant’s testimony recorded by the coastguards conducting the inquiry, “We embarked on the journey at dawn on Friday, with approximately 700 people on board. We had been traveling for three days when the engine failed.”

Even four days after one of the most devastating Mediterranean disasters in recent years, numerous unanswered questions remain, including the cause of the vessel’s capsizing. Concerns have been raised about allegations that the trawler overturned in the early hours of Wednesday due to a rope being attached by the coastguards, although Greek officials have rejected these claims.

Initially, the coastguard claimed to have maintained a “discreet distance” from the boat, but on Friday, a government spokesperson confirmed that a rope had been thrown to “stabilize” the vessel.

The boat was allegedly in control of an Egyptian smuggling ring. Nine suspects are scheduled to appear in a Greece court on Monday.

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