The tragedy of the migrant boat sinking off the coast of Greece remains heavy, much like the bodies scattered on land, not far from grieving families who refuse to leave the disaster area in hopes of the sea bringing back a lost son or relative. At a migrant camp near Athens' fencing, families were able to embrace their surviving relatives from one of the deadliest boat incidents in the Mediterranean.
Since the survivors were transferred to the Malakasa migrant camp on Friday, families of the boat's passengers have been gathering with photos of their loved ones to display at the camp's gates in hopes someone might recognize them.
Mohammed Al-Sayed Radwan (54), who came from Germany after finding his nephew among the survivors, expressed, "I am looking for my brother's family and asking for help." Radwan showed a picture of his missing brother on his phone, stating he wants to find him as he has not found his name on the hospital records of the deceased nor on the survivors' list.
Greek government officials believe the boat set sail with passengers from the Libyan coastal city of Tobruk on June 10. Most of those aboard were from Egypt, Syria, and Pakistan.
Greek authorities indicate that the boat, which they monitored for about 15 hours, capsized and sank roughly 25 minutes after its engine stopped in the early hours of June 14. Only 104 survivors have been recorded from the sinking of the dilapidated fishing vessel, which carried up to 750 individuals. 78 deaths have been confirmed, and search and rescue operations continue despite no survivors or bodies being found since last week.
Authorities noted that the boat's occupants repeatedly declined offers for assistance. However, international agencies, including Amnesty International, have demanded that Greece provide more clarity regarding the tragedy and whether adequate efforts were made by the authorities to prevent it.
On Sunday, a Syrian survivor named Mohammed (18) broke down in tears when reunited with his older brother, Fadi, whom he met on Friday through an iron fence in the coastal city of Kalamata. Some are still waiting for news about their loved ones.
A survivor named Atiyah Sayed (22) mentioned that his uncle, who is still missing, was aboard the same capsized boat, and he is still searching for him.
Nine other Egyptian survivors remain in Greece for questioning and appeared before a judge on Monday. Pakistani police reported they had arrested 14 individuals accused of smuggling several migrants who were on the boat.
