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Afghans among victims of Greek boat disaster: embassy
Afghanistan’s Embassy in Rome said on Monday the recent shipwreck off the coast of Greece took the lives of at least 78 men from Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Hundreds more are missing based on the speculation that between 400 to 750 people were on board, the embassy said in a statement.
The boat capsized off Greece on Wednesday about 80 kilometers from the southern Greek town of Pylos.
Greek authorities have said 104 survivors and 78 bodies were brought ashore in the immediate aftermath of the tragedy.
The Afghanistan Embassy in Rome called on Afghans not to take risks traveling illegally on “unsafe water, insecure and overcrowded ships.”
“We appeal to our compatriot migrants and refugees not to trust the international smuggling networks for putting their lives at risk. Additionally, since we are seeing that a growing number of migrants and refugees have chosen this illegal open sea pathway, it makes them more prone to stormy weather as the journeys are taking much longer, especially when the final destination is Italy,” the statement said.