Hundreds are still missing after a boat full of migrants capsized off the coast of Greece on Tuesday night. At least 79 people died in the accident and more than a hundred were saved. Estimates of the number of people on board vary.

For example, the international refugee organization IOM spoke earlier today of about 400 people on board. Alarm Phone, an organization that helps immigrants, resigns Twitter She received several emergency calls on Tuesday night from a boat carrying 750 migrants.

A government spokesperson said the Greek authorities could not confirm the figures cited.

The boat sank last night 75 km southwest of the Peloponnese peninsula. The migrants may have been on their way from Libya to Italy.

The map below shows the path the boat might have taken before sinking:

The Italian coast guard was said to have warned Greece and the European border control organization Frontex about the boat on Tuesday. According to the Greek coast guard, the people on board rejected an offer of help late Tuesday night and wanted to sail to Italy.

Later that night, the engines failed and the boat capsized, the Coast Guard reported. A spokesman told Greek TV channel ERT that the ship may have capsized due to a sudden movement on board the ship, which was packed with people.

The Coast Guard launched a large-scale rescue operation, rescuing 104 immigrants. According to the Coast Guard, none of those on board were wearing a life jacket or carrying any other aid.

Rescued migrants arrive in Kalamata city:

Prime Minister Mitsotakis declared three days of national mourning for the boat disaster. Although the death toll is likely to rise, it is already the deadliest boating accident in years.

The escape route from North Africa to Italy by boat is a common route, which leads to many deaths. The boats are often overcrowded or unseaworthy. According to the International Organization for Migration, there are many more 25,000 Migrants who have drowned in the Mediterranean since 2014.

The New York Times published it nearly a month ago the pictures of the Greek Coast Guard abandons migrants at sea, where they are picked up by Turkish authorities and taken to Turkey. this bodiceAs it is called returning immigrants in this way, it is a violation of European law.

However, reports of illegal returns of migrants are regularly received. Frontex will not only condone this, but sometimes cooperate in it. At the beginning of this year, the European Border Control Service faced the European Court for the first time. The court has yet to rule on Frontex’s role.