Greek Ombudsman Blames Senior Coast Guard Officers For Shipwreck That Killed 500

A Greek Ombudsman has recommended disciplinary action against eight senior coast guard officers over their handling of the 2023 migrant shipwreck off Pylos, where hundreds of people lost their lives.

It is counted among one of the deadliest incidents in recent years, in which the overloaded trawler Adriana capsized in international waters on June 14, 2023, despite being monitored by the Hellenic Coast Guard for nearly 12 hours.

The Adriana had left Libya on June 10, heading for Italy with an estimated 400 to 750 migrants on board. It entered Greece’s search and rescue zone on June 13, after which the Coast Guard dispatched patrol vessel PPLS-920 to the scene.

However, the trawler sank the next day, killing up to 500 people. Only 104 survived and 82 bodies were recovered.

The Ombudsman, Andreas Pottakis, launched an independent inquiry after the Helleni…

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