LONDON: Pakistanis on board the vessel that sank off Greece on June 14 may have been singled out and forced below deck, The Observer reported on Sunday.
About 500 people are still feared missing. Local media in Pakistan reported that at least 298 of the country’s nationals died in the disaster.
Survivor accounts told to Greek coastguards suggest that passengers on the vessel were divided by nationality, with Pakistanis as well as women and children forced below deck into the hold.
Those permitted to stay on the top deck had a far greater chance of survival, with overcrowding below deck preventing people from escaping the vessel as it sank.
Survivors said Pakistani nationals were mistreated by crew members when they appeared from below deck to request water.
An Egyptian smuggling ring is said to have been in charge of the journey, with nine suspects due to face court on Monday.
As a result of the decision to keep women and children below deck to be “protected” by men, none are believed to have survived the sinking. Islamabad said just 12 of the 78 confirmed survivors are Pakistani.
The vessel had already endured significant problems before it capsized, with six passengers dying after the boat ran out of fresh water.
Questions have also been asked of the Greek coastguard and whether it had “covered up” its role in the incident.
The Greek government said no request for help was sent from the vessel because passengers had set Italy as their ideal destination, citing survivor testimony.
But Nawal Soufi, a Moroccan-Italian activist, said some on board the boat had begged to be rescued, though it is unclear whether their requests were forwarded by the crew to the Greek coastguard.
Another controversy centers around the use of a rope to stabilize the vessel by the Greek coastguard, with allegations that it had led to the capsizing by shifting weight.
The coastguard initially denied that it had used the rope, saying it kept a “discreet distance” from the boat, but a government spokesman later retracted the claim.
Maurice Stierl of the Institute for Migration Research and Intercultural Studies said: “The Hellenic coastguard speaks of a sudden shift in weight. So, what caused the sudden shift in weight? Was there a panic on board?
“Did something happen during the attempt to provide them with something? Or was it towed? And due to this towing, did the boat go down?”
