As the search for survivors continues following a tragic incident where a boat carrying hundreds of refugees sank off the coast of Greece, numerous Syrian nationals on board are still unaccounted for.
Enab Baladi has obtained an inconclusive list of individuals from the Daraa governorate who were on the ill-fated vessel, through its correspondent in southern Syria.
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Based on the preliminary list, 11 Syrian nationals have been confirmed as survivors, while over 50 others remain missing.
One survivor shared an audio recording in which they revealed that the hospital, following instructions from the security services, has refrained from disclosing any information about the identities of the individuals brought in, strictly adhering to established protocols.
Nawal Sofi, an activist actively engaged in refugee matters, shared an audio recording she claimed was a distress call made from the boat before it sank, featuring the voices of individuals expressing fear for their lives. She also posted a photograph of the survivors to facilitate their identification by concerned families.
Following a plea for information regarding the missing individuals, numerous people, including Syrians predominantly from southern Syria, responded by sharing the names of their loved ones who remain unaccounted for.
According to a report by Reuters on June 15th, rescue teams are currently conducting patrols in the waters near the Greek coast following the tragic sinking of the ship on Wednesday, resulting in the loss of 79 migrants’ lives.
As time passes, hopes of finding survivors are diminishing, and concerns are mounting that numerous migrants who were trapped inside the vessel’s hold may have drowned.
Reports sourced from Reuters estimate that the sunken boat carried between 400 and 750 individuals.
In response to the incident, Greece has declared three days of national mourning, while a European charity is conducting an investigation suggesting that approximately 750 people might have been aboard a boat measuring 20 to 30 meters in length.
Greek authorities have confirmed that 104 survivors, mostly men, were rescued by the coastguard and brought to the Greek port city of Kalamata.
Given that the accident occurred in one of the deepest areas of the Mediterranean, Greek government sources have dismissed the possibility of recovering the sunken boat, which departed from the Libyan port of Tobruk last Tuesday, due to the region’s location in international waters.
This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
