It’s still in development migrant search and rescue operation which began early Wednesday morning in the sea area south of Rhodes.

Two Coast Guard lifeboats, a Navy ship, three parachute boats and a Super Puma helicopter are on the scene.

Coast Guard officials speaking at cathimerini.grreported that at the time of writing these lines A total of 29 people were identified.adding that, according to the testimony, There were from 60 to 80 people on board.. According to the Coast Guard’s first information, it was a relatively small vessel that could not have been boarded by such a large number of people under any circumstances.

It is worth noting that, according to the information, of the 29 rescued, two were rescued by the Super Puma vessel, which took them to Karpathos, and 27 were rescued by a tanker of Greek interests, which delivered them to Kardamena on Kos.

Most of the rescued are Afghans, while some of them are Iraqis and Iranians. Few were wearing life jackets, according to the Coast Guard.

The survivors said they left the port of Antalya for Italy two days ago, and their boat was stranded last night in an area south of Rhodes.

The weather doesn’t help business winds blowing with a force of 5 to 6 on the Beaufort scale, the sea is stormy.. It is noted that two members of the Turkish Coast Guard went to the area, however, the Coast Guard Integrated Search and Rescue Coordination Center has full control and jurisdiction over the incident.

The incident was also mentioned Agence France-Presse broadcasts that after a shipwreck on the island of Karpathos, up to 50 people went missing.

#RENEW Up to 50 people have gone missing after a boat carrying migrants sank off the Greek island of Karpathos in the Aegean Sea, a Coast Guard spokesman told AFP on Wednesday. pic.twitter.com/CANWbSWd7F

— AFP News Agency (@AFP) August 10, 2022

Plakiotakis on the rescue operation: Protecting human lives is our absolute priority

“The protection of human life is our daily concern and absolute priority,” said Minister of Shipping Yiannis Plakiotakis of a large-scale search and rescue operation for foreigners that has been underway since morning in a sea area 38 nautical miles south of Rhodes. .

The minister said that “officers of the coast guard, with the assistance of the navy, air force, as well as merchant ships passing in the area, continue a large search and rescue operation”, while he stressed that so far 29 of our fellow citizens collected and investigations are ongoing.

He also noted that more than 6,000 people have been rescued in the course of 145 Coast Guard search and rescue operations over the past two years.

Ministry of Shipping announcement:

“A wide-ranging search and rescue operation for foreigners has been underway since early morning in a sea area 38 nautical miles south of Rhodes, in international waters and within the Greek search and rescue area, coordinated by the Coast Guard’s Joint Search and Rescue Coordinating Center – Greek Coast Guard.

In particular, E.K.S.E.D.LS-EL.AKT., was informed early in the morning about the ship (a.s.), in a difficult situation with foreigners on board, in the surface part and began an operation to collection from the sea. Two (02) LS – EL.AKT. lifeboats, one (01) PN ship, three (03) parachute boats, and one (01) PA SUPER PUMA helicopter operate in the indicated sea area.

At the moment, 29 (twenty-nine) people have been rescued alive, while, according to the passengers, there were about 80 (eighty) people on board the above boat. In the coastal area of ​​research, which are in full swing, south-westerly winds of 5-6 points prevail.

From the first moment, the Minister of Shipping and Insular Policy, Mr. Yiannis Plakiotakis, was informed, who gave the order to immediately mobilize all necessary funds to save the foreigners.

Any developments will be announced in a new press release.”