According to reports in Greek media, a serious incident occurred shortly before 9 p.m. on Tuesday off the coast of the Greek island of Chios, when a vessel of the Hellenic Coast Guard engaged a speedboat suspected of transporting irregular migrants and linked to a human smuggling network. The latest reports claim that between five and seven people have died, although authorities have not confirmed the fatalities yet. Some sources say the number of dead might be higher, while many have been injured, and multiple migrants on board the vessel have gone missing.
According to coast guard sources, the human smuggler rammed his boat into the coast guard vessel, resulting in tens of irregular migrants falling into the water. Subsequently, the bodies of four people were recovered.
The reports suggest the coast guard agents exchanged gunfire with the suspect vessel during an operation to intercept and immobilise the speedboat.
Initial reports say the exchange resulted in injuries to several people on board. Coast Guard vessels have been continuously transferring injured individuals to the port of Chios, where ambulances have been deployed to transport them to the General Hospital.
According to the local news site politischios.gr, Greek authorities have launched a search-and-rescue operation amid reports of missing persons. A Super Puma helicopter equipped with thermal imaging cameras has been deployed and is conducting aerial searches over the area in an effort to locate any survivors in the water.
The site of the incident remains under tight security. Coast Guard units from neighbouring islands have also been mobilised, along with the intelligence service of the Ministry of Maritime Affairs, as authorities seek to clarify the circumstances of the incident and identify those involved.
