Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on February 11, 2026
2 min readLast updated: February 11, 2026
Add as preferred source on GoogleAutopsies reveal head injuries, not drowning, as cause of death in Greece shipwreck. Investigation focuses on collision details.
By Yannis Souliotis
ATHENS, Feb 11 (Reuters) - Most of the 15 Afghan migrants who were killed off the Greek island of Chios last week when their dinghy collided with a coast guard vessel died of head injuries, not from drowning, autopsy results seen by Reuters show.
A criminal investigation has been opened into the February 3 collision - one of Greece's deadliest migrant accidents in years - in which a coast guard vessel struck a dinghy carrying about 39 people, causing it to capsize.
The coast guard said the migrant boat had been travelling without navigation lights and ignored warnings to stop. It said the dinghy abruptly changed course and hit the patrol vessel.
But testimonies from five survivors, reviewed by Reuters, contradict the official account. They said that the coast guard did not offer any prior warning and that the dinghy did not change course. Later, divers found dead bodies inside the boat.
The autopsy findings are likely to sharpen investigators' focus on the force and nature of the impact.
"Cause of death: Severe cranial and brain injuries," said one of the court documents seen by Reuters on Wednesday, with others also citing accompanying chest injuries. Another one said "cranial and brain injuries and subsequent drowning".
Coast guard photos taken after the collision showed mild scrapes on its vessel. In total three coast guard crew members and 24 migrants were injured.
So far, a 31-year-old Moroccan survivor has been detained pending trial on charges including migrant smuggling and causing the deadly crash. He denies the accusations.
Coast guard officials have declined comment on the case while the official inquiry is under way.
Greece, which was at the front line of Europe's migration crisis in 2015-2016, says it respects international law and human rights and that its coast guard has saved tens of thousands of people.
Since 2019, however, the country has adopted tougher migration policies, drawing criticism from rights groups.
Hundreds of migrants died in a shipwreck in 2023 after what witnesses said was a failed attempt by the coast guard to tow their trawler. A naval court is still investigating the case.
(Writing by Renee Maltezou; Editing by Edward McAllister and Ros Russell)
A coast guard is a maritime security organization responsible for enforcing laws and regulations on waterways, protecting the marine environment, and conducting search and rescue operations.
Survivor accounts are personal testimonies from individuals who have experienced a traumatic event, providing insights into the circumstances and events that occurred.
A criminal investigation is a systematic inquiry conducted by law enforcement to gather evidence and determine whether a crime has been committed.
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