A boat belonging to the EU’s border control agency Frontex capsized and sank off a Greek island near the coast of Turkey, resulting in four people on board being injured, the Greek coast guard told AFP.
Greek state television network ERT reported that the Frontex vessel was Estonian and its crew comprised three Estonians, a Greek coast guard officer and Estonia’s ambassador to Greece.
The accident, off the island of Kastellorizo, did not occur as the Frontex boat was engaged in an operation, according to the Greek coast guard.
It added that the circumstances of the capsize were to be investigated.
The four injured people were taken by helicopter to a hospital on the nearby island of Rhodes.
A Frontex spokesman, Krzysztof Borowski, confirmed the incident to AFP, saying: “We were informed by the Greek coast guard that they managed to rescue everyone on board. I believe there were five people. From what I understand, at least one person is injured.”
Kastellorizo’s mayor, Nikos Asvestis, told the Athens News Agency that only one person on the boat was seriously hurt.
“It’s not clear whether the boat hit the bottom, or if it struck a floating trunk out from the port, or if the capsize was due to a bad manoeuvre,” he said.
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