Survivors of a shipwreck sit inside a warehouse at the port in Kalamata town, on June 15, 2023, after a boat carrying migrants sank in international waters in the Ionian Sea. (Credit: Angelos Tzortzinis/AFP)
Lebanon's Internal Security Forces on Monday requested to be informed about missing persons who may have disappeared aboard a migrant boat that sank on June 14 off the coast of Greece.
On June 14, an overloaded fishing boat capsized and sank off Pylos in the Peloponnese, leading to the drowning of 82 people, while "hundreds" were reported missing, according to some of the 104 survivors.
In this context, "the 'Interpol Greece Office' asked the 'Interpol Beirut Office' to contribute in determining the identities of the victims of the incident since … some of the identities of the victims are still unknown," the ISF statement reads.
"Therefore, the ISF requests those who lost someone since June 14 who may be among the victims to contact the 'Interpol Beirut Office' via the following e-mail (Victims@isf.gov.lb) or by calling the number (01 - 425800) in order to take the necessary measures."
After the disaster, the Greek police arrested nine Egyptians on suspicion of people smuggling — one of them the captain of the boat carrying the migrants.
Along with Italy and Spain, Greece has been one of the main landing points for tens of thousands of people seeking to reach Europe from Africa and the Middle East.
Greece is also facing an increase in crossing attempts from Turkey on southern routes near the Cyclades islands and toward the Peloponnese peninsula, as vessels seek to avoid patrols in the northern Aegean Sea.