Greek coast guard questioned over response to deadly sinking of migrant vessel

Amna Nawaz:

There were recriminations, mourning and anger in Greece and other parts of the world today, as the search continued for missing migrants in the Mediterranean Sea.

They came from many countries, and hundreds are presumed dead in last week's sinking of the overfilled vessel.

John Irvine of Independent Television News reports from Kalamata, Greece, on what's perhaps the greatest Greek sea disaster since antiquity.

John Irvine:

They were missed by most cameras here today, but these ITV news pictures show the suspected traffickers who the Greek police believe are responsible for the deaths of the 500 migrants who drowned in this country's worst maritime disaster of the modern era.

The nine Egyptians who all survived the sinking were taken from the police station, handcuffed in threes, for the short journey to the local court, where they appeared for the first time, as the wheels of justice went into motion here.

The nine Egyptians face a litany of charges, including negligent homicide, causing a shipwreck, and belonging to a criminal organization. The proceedings here today involve them being formally interviewed by the prosecuting judge who's building a case against them.

Their lawyers have indicated they will deny the charges on the basis they were just migrants themselves, rather than people smugglers. That the nine were all men was a reminder that no women or children were found among the dead or the rescued. When the trawler was abandoned, it was every man for himself. Women and children were not even last, let alone first. They were not at all.

In Pakistan, the prime minister declared today a day of mourning for the dozens of citizens presumed dead in the sinking. At least 25 came from this village in Azad Jammu Kashmir.

Robina Bibi (ph) fears that her son Shamrez (ph) has been lost, leaving his children without a father. She welcomes the crackdown on traffickers just announced by the Pakistani government. She said she wanted to caution parents the world over not to send their children abroad using people smugglers. In doing so, she had lost money and a son.

Here, Greek officials, aid workers, and relatives of the dead have been honoring the victims with flowers. And as questions continue to be asked whether or not more could have been done to prevent this tragedy, the Hellenic Coast Guard has again defended its conduct, saying it acted according to maritime law.