at least 59 migrants died in the sinking of a boat

One more drama in Mediterranean waters. At least 59 people drowned in the sinking of a migrant boat, on the night of Tuesday June 13 to Wednesday June 14, off the Peloponnese peninsula (Greece), announce the coastguards in a last report. According to a source within the Greek Ministry of Migration, the boat on board which were allegedly “hundreds” of migrants capsized about 87 km off the Greek coast, in international waters. During the extensive rescue operation, 104 people were rescued, four of whom are hospitalized.

>> Mediterranean: at least 441 migrants have died at sea since the start of the year, the heaviest toll since 2017

The Greek Coast Guard said that when the boat sank, none of the people it was carrying, whose nationality was not specified, was equipped with a life jacket. The boat was spotted for the first time on Tuesday afternoon by a plane from Frontex, the European Border Surveillance Agency, but the migrants on board “refused any help”, according to a statement from the Greek port authorities. According to initial information from the authorities, the boat transporting the migrants had sailed from Libya to Italy.