The Greek coastguard says at least 14 people died after a migrant speedboat collided with a coastguard vessel off Chios at about 9pm local time. Twenty-six people — 24 migrants and two coastguard officers — were rescued and taken to hospital, while the total number aboard the speedboat remains unclear. Search-and-rescue teams deployed patrol boats, a helicopter and divers. An unnamed coastguard official told Reuters the migrant vessel "manoeuvred toward" a coastguard ship that had ordered it to turn back; investigations and EU scrutiny of Greek sea-border practices continue.
At Least 14 Dead After Collision Between Migrant Speedboat and Greek Coastguard Off Chios
A Greek coastguard officer looks through night-vision binoculars during a patrol in the Aegean Sea near the Greek island of Chios [File: Petros Giannakouris/AP Photo]
At least 14 people were killed after a migrant speedboat collided with a Greek coastguard vessel in the Aegean Sea near the island of Chios on Tuesday evening, the coastguard said.
The crash occurred at about 9pm local time (19:00 GMT) off the Mersinidi area of Chios, according to Greece's Athens-Macedonian News Agency (AMNA). The coastguard said 26 people were rescued and taken to hospital on Chios — 24 migrants and two coastguard officers — but it was not immediately clear how many people had been aboard the speedboat.
Greek media reported that seven children and a pregnant woman were among the injured. A search-and-rescue operation involving coastguard patrol boats, a helicopter and divers remained under way in the area.
Footage published by the Greek newspaper Ta Nea appeared to show at least one injured person being moved from a vessel moored by a jetty into an emergency vehicle with blue flashing lights.
An unnamed coastguard official told Reuters the collision occurred after the migrant boat "manoeuvred toward" a coastguard vessel that had instructed it to turn back.
Greece has long been a primary transit route for migrants and refugees from the Middle East, Africa and Asia attempting to reach Europe. During the 2015–2016 migration crisis, nearly one million people arrived on Greek islands from nearby Turkiye, including Chios.
Arrivals have declined in recent years after Greece tightened asylum and migration policies and strengthened maritime patrols and border controls. The country has faced criticism and scrutiny over its handling of sea arrivals, including an investigation into a 2023 shipwreck that killed hundreds of migrants; some witnesses said coastguard attempts to tow the trawler contributed to the disaster.
Last year, the European Union's border agency said it was reviewing 12 cases of alleged human-rights violations by Greece, including accusations of pushbacks at the country's frontiers. Greek authorities have denied carrying out human-rights abuses or systematically pushing asylum seekers away from Greek shores.
Officials have not yet released a full passenger manifest for the speedboat. Local and national authorities — and potentially EU agencies — are expected to continue search operations and investigate the circumstances of the collision.
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