Late Tuesday night, the waters off Mirsinidi beach in eastern Chios, turned into a scene of devastation after a small vessel carrying migrants and refugees collided with a Hellenic Coast Guard patrol boat, leaving 15 people dead and 24 injured.

The eight-meter speedboat was believed to be carrying around 40 people. Twenty-five survivors — seven men, seven women and eleven minors, including a baby — were pulled from the sea during a rescue operation involving Coast Guard vessels, civilian divers and military helicopters.

Among the injured were numerous children, the majority of whom were under 15 years old. Two pregnant women survived the collision but later lost their unborn babies, hospital officials said.

Search operations continued into Wednesday as authorities worked to determine whether anyone else was missing. Maritime Affairs and Insular Policy Minister Vasilis Kikilias has ordered an internal administrative investigation into the circumstances of the incident.

There has been no independent verification of the Coast Guard’s account of how the collision occurred, and no video footage of the incident has been released. According to media reports, the Coast Guard vessel was equipped with a camera, but it was not activated at the time of the collision.

What the Coast Guard Alleges Happened

In its official account, the Hellenic Coast Guard alleges that one of its inflatable patrol boats was conducting a scheduled patrol when it detected an inflatable speedboat carrying foreign nationals. The vessel, they claim, was operating without navigation lights and heading toward the eastern coast of Chios, in the sea area of Mirsinidi.

According to the Coast Guard’s statement, the operator of the speedboat failed to comply with light and sound signals instructing it to stop. Instead, the speedboat allegedly altered course, resulting in a collision with the starboard (right) side of the Coast Guard vessel.

The Coast Guard states in its announcement that due to the force of the impact, the speedboat capsized and sank, causing all of its passengers to fall into the sea.

There has been no independent verification of the Coast Guard’s account, nor has any video footage of the collision been released. According to media reports, the Coast Guard vessel was equipped with a camera, but it was not activated at the time of the incident. The absence of visual documentation has drawn quiet comparisons to the 2023 Pylos shipwreck, when onboard cameras were also reported not to have been functioning.

The Human Toll on Chios

At Chios General Hospital, known locally as Skylitseio, 24 injured survivors remain hospitalized. At least ten of them are minors, most of which are being treated  for orthopedic injuries. According to Kirykas Zannikos, a pediatrician at Chios General Hospital some of the kids have more serious injuries, while others have suffered minor trauma and contusions. In his statement to the local press he reiterated that “thankfully in most instances the children haven’t sustained critical injuries.”  He also underlined that one of the major challenges the doctors faced during the night was locating the families of these injured children.

Several adults also sustained severe trauma. According to hospital director Mr. Tsiachris, of the 24 hospitalized migrants — seven men, six women and 11 minors — five have undergone surgery. One patient has suffered a traumatic brain injury, while four are being treated in the hospital’s intensive care unit. Ten are expected to be discharged in the coming days. There are also reports of some of the injured survivors being transported to Athens for further treatment.

The mayor of Chios, Giorgos Malafis, who is a radiologist by profession, described the night as resembling a battlefield. Speaking to news site iefimerida, he said:

“We truly lived — and are still living — in war-like conditions. There were many people, and among them we had multiple trauma patients in serious condition, with traumatic brain injuries and ruptured organs. All night long, my colleagues and I were performing CT scans. We were running to save lives. Three surgeries were carried out overnight, and unfortunately more are scheduled for today.”

He also spoke with visible anguish about the two pregnant women who lost their babies and confirmed that the two women have to undergo further surgeries today.

Two Coast Guard crew members were also transported to hospital. The male officer has since been discharged, while the female officer remains hospitalized for further examinations.

According to information provided by survivors, most of those aboard the vessel said they are Afghan nationals, while one identified himself as Moroccan.

Read the Full Statement of the Hellenic Coast Guard:

“Late last night, an inflatable patrol boat of the Hellenic Coast Guard (officially the Hellenic Coast Guard – Hellenic Rescue Service) was conducting a scheduled patrol when it spotted an inflatable speedboat carrying foreign nationals. The vessel was operating without navigation lights and was heading toward the eastern coast of the island of Chios, in the sea area of Mirsinidi.

The operator of the speedboat failed to comply with the patrol boat’s light and sound signals instructing it to stop. Instead, the speedboat altered course, resulting in a collision with the starboard (right) side of the Coast Guard vessel. Due to the force of the impact, the speedboat capsized and sank, causing all of its passengers to fall into the sea.

Under the coordination of the Joint Rescue Coordination Center (JRCC) of the Hellenic Coast Guard, a search and rescue operation was immediately launched. Four Coast Guard patrol vessels and one private vessel carrying civilian divers participated in the operation.

Two Hellenic Air Force helicopters also took part in the search effort from the air.

A total of 25 foreign nationals (seven men, seven women, and eleven minors) were rescued by a Coast Guard patrol vessel, injured, and transported to port. From there, they were taken to Chios General Hospital (“Skylitseio” Hospital) for treatment.

Subsequently, one of the rescued women succumbed to her injuries.

Two members of the Coast Guard crew (one man and one woman) were also transported to hospital. The male officer has since been discharged, while the female officer remains hospitalized for further examinations.

During the search operation, two Coast Guard patrol vessels located and recovered 14 bodies (11 men and three women). The bodies were transferred to port and then to Chios General Hospital for autopsy procedures. The total number of deceased stands at 15.

A preliminary investigation is being conducted by the Central Port Authority of Chios. Search operations for any additional missing foreign nationals are ongoing, involving five Coast Guard patrol vessels and one Coast Guard helicopter.”

sources: politischios.gr, amna.gr