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15 Jun 2023

Hundreds of people still missing after boat capsized off Greece

Foreign Affairs Correspondent

The Greek government has announced three days of national mourning after a boat carrying hundreds of migrants capsized.

Dozens of children are feared to be among those who drowned in one of the worst disasters in the Mediterranean in recent years.

This harrowing image shows hundreds of desperate migrants – many seemingly without lifejackets –  on board the boat  – some time before it sank off the coast of Southern Greece.

104 people have been rescued, including Afghans, Syrians, Pakistanis, and Egyptians.

78 deaths have been confirmed… with authorities fearing hundreds more may have died including women and children who were trapped below deck according to some reports.

The Greek authorities say those on board were trying to reach Italy from Eastern Libya.

Crossing the Mediterranean has become one of the busiest and deadliest maritime passages in the world for migrants.

1,289 migrants have been recorded missing in the Mediterranean so far this year alone – according to the United Nations.

Since 2014, more than 26,000 migrants have died or disappeared in these waters.