The UK BBC has questioned the version broadcast by the Greek coastguards of around 700 migrants on board the sunken ship. According to information from the BBC, the boats that circulated around the ship did not move in the last seven hours before the sinking. According to the coast guard’s version, the ship was travelling to Italy and denied Greece’s aid.
The Greek authorities, which has received news, say that the migrants had not asked for help and that they “were not at risk”. Through the maritime analysis platform Marine Traffic, the BBC has monitored the movement of the vessel. The movement is appreciated, but it can be seen that in the last seven hours only “a few thousand” of sea were moved due to the winds and waves of the Mediterranean.
Activist Nawal Soufi was in contact with the boat migrants. On Tuesday at 10:00 he warned of the critical situation of Italy, Greece and Malta. Migrants in contact with Soufi described a critical situation, with several deaths by boat. Lucky Sailor provided them with food and water in collaboration with the Greek Coast Guard.
On Tuesday, as the migrant's boat engine stopped, several boats passed around. The BBC has won the video by the boat Faithful Warrior, where the boat stands at around 18:00 on Tuesday. At sunset, around 19:40 and 22:40, according to Greece, the ship had “steady direction and speed.” However, the images released by Athens show that the migrants' boat did not move.
Around 00:00, the Greek media said a boat came from the Greek Coast. The captain of this boat says the migrants denied the aid. He says that the boat was tied with ropes to help, but that the migrants denied help and took off the ropes and tried to start the engine. According to Nawal Soufi, the ropes scared the migrants, thinking they would fly the boat, because they did not know “whether it was a rescue operation or to put their lives at risk”. Around 01:40, the boat sank in a minute and the rescue teams started moving.
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