“We’re all activated on the island so they can be found the other 13 people. In addition to the coast guard, the Greek rescue team and commandos also help. The weather is still very bad, the wind is blowing at 8 Beaufort, and the operation to find migrants is very difficult. Let someone be saved.” – says “K” Deputy Governor of Lesbos Panagiotis Koufelos.

“10 rescued women are in the Mytilini hospital and receive medical care, and 16 dead women and a minor man were taken to the morgue. Whoever did this, the culprit put all these young women on a boat in the middle of the ocean in this kind of weather. This shipwreck has brought back very bad memories from 2015 all over the island, which is shaken,” he adds.

The vessel is believed to have sailed late last night from the Ayasmat area near Ayvali under extremely adverse conditions.

Rescue operation at Kythira

In the meantime, at least 80 migrants have been rescued after the impact and semi-sinking of a sailboat near the sea cliff at Diakofti in Kythira.

Among the rescued were 62 adults (55 men and 7 women) and 18 minors. The eleven rescued were taken to Kitera General Hospital for further medical examination.

According to information available to the authorities, there were 95 people on board the boat.

The Coast Guard continues to search for the missing in adverse conditions, with winds between 8 and 10 on the Beaufort scale. The I/F vessel carrying the migrants was completely destroyed.

A floating ship, a Navy helicopter, officials from the relevant port authority, police and fire officials, and volunteer rescuers are at the scene.

A ship of the open sea of ​​the port corps, a special-purpose echelon of the Coast Guard and a group of an underwater operations detachment are being transferred there.

“We saw how the boat hit the rocks, and people climbed up and tried to escape. It was an incredible sight. All the residents came down to help them,” island resident Martha Statakis told The Associated Press.

According to local authorities, the migrants will be transferred to a local school.

Mayor of Kythira: Five people died before my eyes

In an interview with SKAI, the mayor of Kiter st. Charchalakis.

Characteristically, the mayor said that “five people died before my eyes.”

He went on to say that the ship sent an SOS to 112 last night around 8 when the weather was bad in the area.

He added that the unfortunate migrants were washed away by the waves, and their boat hit and crashed on sheer cliffs 15-20 meters high.

“The sea hit them like octopuses,” he said in shock. “The wave picked them up and they were gone within five seconds,” he said characteristically.

Photo: AR