Four dead, five injured in boat collision in Greece

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A sea tragedy with four dead and five injured occurred after boat crash off the Greek island of Aegina in the Saronic Gulf on Tuesday, according to the latest information by Greek authorities.

A sea tragedy with four dead and five injured occurred after boat crash off the Greek island of Aegina in the Saronic Gulf on Tuesday. [Photo/Xinhua]

A sea tragedy with four dead and five injured occurred after boat crash off the Greek island of Aegina in the Saronic Gulf on Tuesday. [Photo/Xinhua] 



An eight-meter-long speedboat rammed into a tour boat, cut it in half and turned it over. As a result, all passengers fell into the sea, with four of them losing their lives and many getting injured.

Among the casualties were the captain of the tour boat, a 5-year-old girl and a man who has not been identified yet. The dead body of the fourth victim was found sunk 20 meters below the surface.

According to the Greek Coast Guard, 20 passengers were rescued, five of them were injured and airlifted to hospitals in Athens.

Of the injured, two were in a critical condition: a man suffering from respiratory problems and a woman that underwent amputation on her left lower leg.

The rest of the passengers, who were in a state of shock, were transferred to Aegina's Health Center for first aid.

The 78-year-old speedboat captain was arrested and testifying before coast guard officials. According to local media, he claimed that he did not understand how the accident happened and that he didn't see anything.

Along with the captain, three people were on board and were taken to the island's coast guard.

The tour boat was transferring passengers from Perdika village in the southwest of Aegina to a beach on a near islet Moni for swimming.

Private vessels along with three patrol boats of the coast guard rushed into the scene and collected survivors from the sea.

Search and rescue operation continued with the assistance of a military helicopter to locate any missing passengers of the tour boat. The circumstances of the collision remain unclear.

"We express our deepest sorrow for the tragic accident in the maritime area of Aegina," a statement from the ruling Syriza party read.

"Our thoughts are with the families of the victims and the injured. The need to investigate the circumstances that led to the collision of the two vessels is imperative," said the statement.

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