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In Greece, the toll of the sinking of a migrant boat on Wednesday June 14 in Kalamata still remains impossible to establish. A test for the families of the disappeared who are waiting for the identification of a loved one via DNA tests.
For several days, the 104 survivors of the shipwreck have been locked up in a camp. Suhaib Dar came especially from England, hoping to find his brother. The Pakistani boy was among an estimated 750 passengers on board. “If he’s not here, I’ll go see him at the morgue, if I find him. Here is my last chance to see him alive”, says Suhaib. 12 Pakistanis survived the tragedy. One of them confirms to him that his brother was present on the boat, and that he did not survive.
DNA tests to identify victims
An Egyptian family has no news of a missing cousin. In front of the camp gate, survivors tell him that they do not know him, but tell of the shipwreck: “Next to the boat, there was the one from the coast guard, which followed it for several hours. At one point, it sent them ropes to help them, and afterwards, for no reason, the boat capsized.“
Several other boats crossed its path before the tragedy, as evidenced by a video filmed by a sailor from a merchant ship. The ship continued on its way, despite the visible signs of distress on board. The France Télévisions team, which was not allowed to enter the camp, went to Kalamata, where the 78 bodies found at sea were brought back. Here, other families are desperately waiting for news. Some even gave their DNA, to allow the authentication of the bodies.