The rescued may have left Kalamata yesterday, Friday for the structure of Malakasa, but relatives of those on board the fatal boat continue to come to the city, hoping for good news.

So they are trying to find out through photos if anyone saw their own people, while there are also those who have come to give dna, to cross check if any of the bodies belong to their own people.

A Syrian who traveled from Germany and is looking for his cousin who was on board the sunken boat spoke to “Tharros”. As he said, he has been here since yesterday in order to learn any information regarding his own person as well as to provide a dna sample if requested.

Regarding the trip that resulted in the shipwreck, it has been learned that it started from Libya and was destined for Italy, while 700 people were on board.

The weather, he added, was fine, and when an attempt was made by a large boat to throw water on them, the people on board went to that side, and then the boat heeled over and began to sink.

He still doesn’t know if his cousin is one of the survivors taken to Malakasa, but there isn’t one on the lists of their names, so he’ll go to the structure to make sure.

Finally, when asked if he knew if there were women and children on the boat, he replied that it was a fishing boat, with large holds, and there were definitely women and children there.

Telephone Center for the identification of the victims of the shipwreck

It should be noted that since yesterday the Headquarters of the Coast Guard has made it known that it operates a telephone center for the identification of the victims of the shipwreck.

The announcement

In the “Keranis” building of the Ministry of Immigration and Asylum (Leoforos Thivon 196-198, Agios Ioannis Renti-Nikaias Attica, PO Box 18233) the Disaster Victim Identification Team will be based in order to provide further assistance in the effort to identify the victims of the shipwreck in international waters, 47 n.m. off Pylos.

At the same time, a call center will operate for this purpose. The telephone and email contact with the Greek DVI Team will be 2131386000 and [email protected], respectively. The above will operate from Saturday 17th June 2023 during 09.00 to 19.00 (UTC+3) on a daily basis and will support the following languages: English, Arabic, Pashto and Urdu.

The Greek group DVI has undertaken the humanitarian work of identifying the victims of the disaster in question, in collaboration with the Central Port Authority of Kalamata, the General Secretariat for Reception of Asylum Seekers of the Ministry of Immigration and Asylum and the General Secretariat of Civil Protection.

The relatives of the victims will also be received in the Keranis building for their examination and the collection of biological material (DNA), after relevant consultation with them.