The chemical tanker named HIRA V, which is in the Veysel Vardal Shipping fleet, rescued 78 irregular migrants upon receiving a call for help from a boat in the Mataban Sea (*). The group, consisting of six children, 10 women and 62 men, was immediately taken on board and given first aid; food and drinks were offered.
The captain of the ship, Ufuk Akdağ, who called Veysel Vardal Shipping DPA & CSO Capt. Ferit Toptaş after receiving the emergency rescue request, explained what happened as follows:
“On October 14, 2024 at 02:20, we received a call for help from a boat 20 minutes away from our ship in the Mataban Sea (36 53.5N – 021 39E). We headed towards the boat with the instructions of OLIMPIA radio regarding the subject. The last instruction given to us was to take the 78 people on the boat on our deck. We rescued 78 irregular migrants (six children, 10 women and 62 men) and took them on board. After first aid interventions, food, drinks and blankets were given.”
They had been at sea for four days
The irregular migrants, who reported that they were from Iraq, Iran, Egypt and Afghanistan, said that they had been at sea for four days. Some of them had Turkish liras. They said that their captain was Russian but had escaped. They reported that they had agreed for 70 thousand Euros. In order for us to continue our current voyage, we requested from OLIMPIA radio that the Greek Coast Guard come and get them. When the Greek Coast Guard boat did not arrive, we went to the Greek port of Pylos, 39 miles north, and returned the refugees to the Greek authorities at 11:30 on 14 10 2024, and returned to our current voyage”
* Mataban Sea, “Mataban is the area between the southernmost tip of Greece and the southernmost tip of Italy”