A serious incident occurred on Tuesday night between a Coast Guard patrol crew and migrant smugglers while they were transporting people in a boat to the coast of Chios.

According to the information available so far, there are at least four dead migrants, several injured and missing persons. A search and rescue operation is underway, and Greece has issued a NOTAM for sea searches for the missing persons. For this reason, there are fears that the number of victims may rise to 10-12.

Specifically, the National Ambulance Service (EKAV) has rushed to the scene with five ambulances, and rescuers have so far transported 24 illegal migrants (including a pregnant woman) and two coast guard officers (a man and a woman) to the hospital in Chios.

According to initial reports, the Coast Guard patrol vessel from Oinousses detected the dinghy carrying migrants and signaled for it to turn back. The smugglers moved toward the Coast Guard vessel and a collision occurred, with people falling into the sea near the Mersinidi area. So far, there is no clear picture, while there are also reports of an exchange of gunfire, which have not been confirmed.

As has become known so far, approximately 35 people were on board the migrants’ dinghy, many of whom ended up in the sea, with several sustaining injuries.

According to politischios.gr, Coast Guard vessels are continuously disembarking injured individuals at the port of Chios, where EKAB ambulances have been mobilized for their rapid transfer to the Skilitsio Hospital of Chios.

Operation with helicopter support

The Hellenic Coast Guard forces, in cooperation with the Hellenic Air Force, have already launched a search and rescue operation, as there are reports of missing persons. A Super Puma helicopter is also participating in the operation, conducting flights over the incident area using thermal cameras to locate any potential survivors at sea.

The site of the incident remains under strict control, while Coast Guard units from neighboring islands and the Intelligence Service of the Ministry of Shipping have also been mobilized, aiming to investigate the circumstances of the incident and identify those involved.

As of late in the evening, there had been no official update on the condition of the injured; however, eyewitnesses report “multiple seriously injured” among those aboard the migrants’ vessel.