Unsuccessful so far have been the efforts that continued throughout the night to locate missing persons who were on a boat that capsized at sea, 25 nautical miles off Cape Greco, in international waters.
According to the Cyprus News Agency (CNA), the overnight searches conducted using aeronautical and naval resources of the National Guard and the Police, with the participation of ambulance service nurses from OKYPY, as well as passing vessels, proved fruitless, and no missing persons were found. However, the operation is still ongoing under the supervision of the competent authorities.
The boat was carrying more than 20 people, all men from Syria. Yesterday afternoon, during a search and rescue operation carried out under the supervision of the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (JRCC), seven deceased individuals and two survivors were found and recovered.
The deceased were transferred to the morgue of Limassol General Hospital, while the survivors were hospitalised, one at Larnaca General Hospital and the other at Famagusta General Hospital.
Yesterday afternoon, a meeting was held at the JRCC in Larnaca, during which Defence Minister Vasilis Palmas and Justice and Public Order Minister Marios Charchiotis were briefed on the progress of the searches.
In their statements, the two ministers mentioned that the discovery of the survivors was coincidental, as they were spotted by a vessel of the Marine Police conducting patrols in recent days due to increased vigilance by the force.
Regarding the health condition of the two survivors, Defence Minister Vasilis Palmas stated that they are exhausted and dehydrated. He requested time for them to receive the necessary medical care before providing details about the circumstances under which the boat capsized and other information about the passengers.
Justice Minister Marios Charchiotis, for his part, noted that the patrol of the Marine Police vessel took place outside Cyprus’s territorial waters, in international waters, and beyond the contiguous zone.
He further pointed out that the operational area of the JRCC of the Republic of Cyprus effectively extends to the Cyprus FIR, which in some cases reaches and enters the territorial waters of Syria and Lebanon.
Also read: Search for missing persons after Cape Greco boat tragedy ongoing
