Authorities have arrested a man who was aboard the speedboat that collided with a Hellenic Coast Guard vessel Tuesday night off the coast of Chios, in a tragedy that left 15 migrants dead.
The arrest was carried out on the order of a Chios prosecutor.
The suspect is a Moroccan national who was among those on the inflatable speedboat that overturned and sank in the waters off Mirsinidi. According to the authorities, the survivors, all of whom are Afghan nationals, identified said man as the smuggler who transported them from the Turkish coast toward Chios.
The collision resulted in the deaths of 15 people and injuries to 26 others, including two Coast Guard officers. The injured were taken to Chios General Hospital for treatment.
Authorities have not released further details about the charges the suspect may face. The investigation into the circumstances of the collision remains ongoing.
