At least 78 migrants lost their lives this Wednesday after a fishing boat sank with hundreds of people on board in the Ionian Seaoff the Greek coast, confirmed to EFE a spokeswoman for the Hellenic Coast Guard, who warned that “will probably increase more the number of deaths”.

So far they have been able be rescued alive 106 peoplefourteen of whom have been transferred to the hospital in the city of Kalamata, some 250 kilometers southwest of Athens.

According to local media, at least 400 immigrantsof nationalities not yet determined, were on board the 30-meter-long vessel, so it is feared that hundreds of people could remain missing. The Greek president, Ekaterini Sakellaropoulou, went to Kalamata to find out about what happened.

Ten boats, a Navy frigate, a helicopter and a Frontex drone – the border agency of the European Union (EU) – participate in search and rescue operations.

Most of the 106 rescued are men of legal age. The boat had departed bound for Italy from eastern Libya and capsized after capsizing this morning southwest of the Peloponnese peninsula, authorities reported.

In a statement, the Greek Coast Guard reported that the fishing vessel had been located around noon on Tuesday, when it was sailing in international waters south of the Greek peninsula.

In the afternoon, a Coast Guard vessel approached to offer assistance as it had spotted a large number of people on the outer deck of the ship, but those on board they refused the offer of helpexpressing his desire to continue the journey towards Italy, explains the note.

A few hours after the incident, the coast guards rescued other 80 people They were on a drifting sailboat.

People smuggling networks have used large vessels such as sailing boats and fishing boats for years to make their way from Turkey or Libya to the southern Italian mainland, from where migrants and refugees have easier access to Central European countries.

Last Sunday, the Greek authorities rescued in the southern Peloponnese 90 migrants that they were aboard a yacht that was adrift.