2026 Chios migrant boat shipwreck

2026 Chios migrant boat shipwreck

Date	3 February 2026
Location	Near Mirsinidi, Chios, Greece
Casualties
25 rescued
Deaths	15 (confirmed)
Missing	Unknown

On 3 February 2026, an inflatable speedboat carrying migrants collided with a patrol boat of the Greek coast guard off the island of Chios, resulting in the death of at least 15 people. 25 migrants were rescued, including 11 minors, with one injured woman later succumbing to her wounds. Two pregnant women had miscarriages. All the 15 confirmed fatalities were cause by severe head trauma, not drowning, while the number of missing passengers remains unknown. Two members of the Greek coast guard were lightly injured. All survivors from the speedboat were Afghan nationals, except a Moroccan man who was arrested on charges of smuggling. ^{[1] [2] [3] [4]}

There have been conflicting accounts of the collision with the Greek coast guard stating that the speedboat had its lights switched off and ignored signals to stop, with a pursuit ensuing and leading to the speedboat ramming the patrol boat on the side. ^{[5] [6] [7]} Passengers disputed this account, saying the patrol boat ran over the inflatable. ^[8]

With a history of pushbacks, ^{[9] [10] [11] [12]} the Greek authorities were criticized for the handling of the operation, with questions arising about the claimed speed of the inflatable, the patrol boat camera being off at the time of the incident and the likelihood of 15 deaths by severe head injury being consistent with the damage shown on the patrol boat in later photographs. ^{[13] [14]} Government officials stood behind the coast guard, dismissing allegations of pushbacks, assigning the blame to smugglers and stating "we will continue to defend our borders". ^{[15] [16]}

See also

• 2023 Pylos migrant boat disaster

References

1. "Collision with Greek coastguard boat leaves 15 migrants dead". BBC News. 4 February 2026. Retrieved 4 February 2026.
2. "Fifteen migrants die after boat collides with Greek coast guard vessel off island of Chios". Reuters. 4 February 2026. Retrieved 4 February 2026.
3. "Autopsies Show Chios Boat Victims Died From Head Injuries". tovima.com. 6 February 2026. Retrieved 6 February 2026.
4. "Arrest Made in Deadly Chios Boat Collision". tovima.com. 4 February 2026. Retrieved 6 February 2026.
5. "At Least 15 Die in Rare Collision Between Migrant Boat and Greek Patrol Vessel" . The New York Times. 4 February 2026. Archived from the original on 4 February 2026. Retrieved 6 February 2026.
6. Hellenic Coast Guard (4 January 2026). "Επιχείρηση έρευνας και διάσωσης και θάνατος 15 αλλοδαπών στη Χίο" [Search-and-rescue operation and death of 15 aliens at Chios] (in Greek). Retrieved 8 February 2026.
7. "Chios: What the Coast Guard Says About the Tragedy with 15 Dead Migrants". News 24/7. 4 February 2026. Retrieved 8 February 2026.
8. "Chios health workers to TPP: Survivors told us the Coast Guard rammed them – this explains the "war-like" injuries". The Press Project. 5 February 2026. Retrieved 6 February 2026.
9. "Strasbourg court finds Greece guilty of 'systematic' pushback of asylum seekers". The Guardian. 7 January 2025. Retrieved 6 February 2026.
10. "Greek coastguard threw migrants overboard to their deaths, witnesses say". BBC News. 7 January 2025. Retrieved 6 February 2026.
11. "Greece Says It Doesn't Ditch Migrants at Sea. It Was Caught in the Act" . The New York Times. 19 May 2023. Archived from the original on 24 May 2023. Retrieved 6 February 2026.
12. Amnesty International (June 2021). "GREECE: VIOLENCE, LIES, AND PUSHBACKS" (PDF). Retrieved 6 February 2026.
13. "More questions emerge after Chios sea tragedy". ekathimerini.com. 5 February 2026. Retrieved 6 February 2026.
14. "Coast Guard Cameras Off During Deadly Chios Collision". tovima.com. 5 February 2026. Retrieved 6 February 2026.
15. "Minister attributes Chios boat tragedy to 'killer smugglers,' opposition demands full probe". ekathimerini.com. 4 February 2026. Retrieved 6 February 2026.
16. "Kikilias Defends Coast Guard in Chios Tragedy". tovima.com. 6 February 2026. Retrieved 6 February 2026.