File photo (c) Hellenic Coast Guard
ATHENS, Nov 25 (Reuters) – Greece has sent a frigate to rescue a container ship believed to carrying hundreds of undocumented migrants and in distress off its southern island of Crete, the Greek coastguard said on Tuesday.
The Kiribati-flagged vessel, with about 700 people aboard, was sailing 30 nautical miles (55 km) southeast of Crete. The ship reported an engine problem in an area with strong winds.
Four container ships sailing nearby could be called on to help if needed, a coastguard spokesman said. “There is no immediate danger, our priority is to save them if needed,” he said. “We’re waiting for the weather to calm down.”
Greece is a popular entry point into Europe for thousands of undocumented migrants from Asia and Africa. In September Athens warned that it was slipping into a “danger zone” without adequate funds or resources to handle a fast-growing wave of refugees from war-torn nations like Syria and Iraq. (Reporting by Renee Maltezou; Writing by Deepa Babington; Editing by Mark Heinrich)
© 2014 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved.
Join the gCaptain Club for curated content, insider opinions, and vibrant community discussions.
Join the 109,811 members that receive our newsletter.
Have a news tip? Let us know.
By Dimitri Rhodes Nov 7 (Reuters) – Belgian oil tanker company CMB Tech says it will focus on the fast growing market in India as it reported third quarter results...
In a bold move amidst Russia’s intensified rocket attacks on civilian ships and Ukrainian ports, Maersk has launched a new weekly container service into Ukraine, signaling resilience in the country’s...
By Robert Tuttle (Bloomberg) A tanker of Canadian crude was shipped from Vancouver to Alaska for the first time in at least 10 years as the recently expanded Trans Mountain pipeline...
Maritime and offshore news trusted by our 109,811 members delivered daily straight to your inbox.
Essential news coupled with the finest maritime content sourced from across the globe.
Sign Up
Join The Club
