Corfu:
A ship headed to Italy with 260 people on board sank near the Greek island of Corfu on Saturday. Twenty-two passengers, mostly Afghans, are still missing after Saturday night's tragedy.
Coast guards were alerted on Saturday night about the boat being in danger, but high winds prevented rescue boats immediately taking to the water.
A Dutch cargo ship sailing close by rescued 241 passengers.
"The boat was obviously sinking, so we decided to take over the people, to rescue them. About close to two o'clock in the morning we had all these people, we had them on board, and I think five minutes later the boat sank away and that is all," said Martin Remeeus, Captain, Momentum Scan.
The cargo ship arrived at Corfu harbour on Sunday afternoon. Several injured migrants were helped off the ship, some carried on stretchers, others limping and wrapped in survival blankets.
A detained person in handcuffs was also seen being escorted from the ship, but no further details of his identity or arrest have been provided.
A helicopter search of the sea has not found any survivors.
Greece is located at the edge of the European Union. This coupled with a soft immigration policy, it has become the main entry-point for illegal migration into Europe.
Coast guards were alerted on Saturday night about the boat being in danger, but high winds prevented rescue boats immediately taking to the water.
A Dutch cargo ship sailing close by rescued 241 passengers.
"The boat was obviously sinking, so we decided to take over the people, to rescue them. About close to two o'clock in the morning we had all these people, we had them on board, and I think five minutes later the boat sank away and that is all," said Martin Remeeus, Captain, Momentum Scan.
The cargo ship arrived at Corfu harbour on Sunday afternoon. Several injured migrants were helped off the ship, some carried on stretchers, others limping and wrapped in survival blankets.
A detained person in handcuffs was also seen being escorted from the ship, but no further details of his identity or arrest have been provided.
A helicopter search of the sea has not found any survivors.
Greece is located at the edge of the European Union. This coupled with a soft immigration policy, it has become the main entry-point for illegal migration into Europe.
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