The?coastguard said that 15 migrants were killed after their boat collided and capsized with a Greek coast guard vessel in the Aegean sea late Tuesday. It was one of the most deadly migrant shipwrecks to occur in Greece for years.

In a press release, the Coast Guard said that an incident occurred when a boat carrying migrants sailing to Chios without navigation lights turned on ignored signals sent by a patrol vessel of the Coast Guard and changed its course.

It said that all those aboard were thrown in the sea just a few nautical miles off the Turkish coastline. It was not able to independently verify the cause of the collision.

The coast guard has rescued 25 people - 7 women, 7 men, and 11 minors - so far. The death toll now stands at 15.

Doctors said that two pregnant women had miscarriages and at least three survivors were in a critical condition.

Officials from the Coast Guard said that at least 39 people were on board. Divers assisted in retrieving the bodies as authorities searched for survivors.

Vangelis K., a volunteer diver, said: "We first saw an inflatable boat...that had dead bodies inside."

The Shipping Ministry has ordered an investigation.

MOSTLY AFGHANS ON BOARD

Most of the migrants were Afghans. Sources said that one Moroccan survivor had been identified as a suspect, and was about to be arrested for migrant smuggling.

They added that the camera on the Coast Guard vessel had not been activated during the incident.

The Minister of Migration Thanos Plevris has praised the Coast Guard for its efforts to rescue migrants.

Plevris, who spoke to the parliament on Wednesday, said that the smugglers were the ones responsible for 15 deaths. The coast guard saved 24 lives. In response to a question on how a dinghy might ram a Coast Guard vessel, Plevris said: "I trust the coastguard."

Greece has been the preferred gateway into Europe for refugees and migrants from the Middle East and Africa.

It was the epicenter of Europe's immigration crisis in 2015-16. Nearly?1m people, including Chios from Turkey, landed on its island.

Since 2019, Greece has strengthened its stance against migrants by enforcing border control with fences, and increasing?sea-patrols.

The European Court of Human Rights ruled that Greece violated human rights in a case involving its border with Turkey. It referred to "a systematic practice of pushbacks" as part of its ruling.

The latest tragedy has brought renewed attention to Greece's treatment towards migrants and refugees who arrive by sea. In 2023, hundreds of migrants died in a shipwreck after the coastguard tried to tow their boat.

Refugee Support Aegean, a rights group, accused authorities on Wednesday of using?interception rather than a search and rescue operation.

The tragedy on Chios was not an isolated event. RSA stated that systematic deterrence practices and non-rescue tactics carried out by Greece and, more broadly, at the outer borders of the European Union... result in the loss of lives.

Greece claims that it is committed to international law, human rights, and its coast guard saved thousands of lives. Reporting by Renee Maltezou and Angeliki Koutantou. Writing by Renee Maltezou. Editing by Ros Russel.

(source: Reuters)