By Magda Panoutsopoulou
ATHENS
A preliminary investigation was carried out by Greek port authorities into 21 of the roughly 600 immigrants who were successfully transferred to the southern city of Ierapetra, on the island of Crete.
Seven crew members and two immigrants suspected of being the traffickers, as well as twelve immigrants who caused trouble on the boat during the investigation, have been arrested.
396 men, 99 women and 100 children were on board of the Kiribati-flagged cargo ship, named Baris, that went adrift early on Tuesday around 60-70 nautical miles southeast of Crete.
Kiribati is an island nation in the central tropical Pacific Ocean.
All the undocumented immigrants were transported to the city’s indoor sports hall and will be accommodated there until further notice.
The 100 children on board will be vaccinated for polio, and the Ministry of Health announced that the National Health Operation Center has made available 100 hospital rooms in Crete.
A first aid station was also made available during the transfer of the immigrants.
Health care checks and vaccinations will be conducted by the Hellenic Center for Disease Control & Prevention.
Official records of the immigrant numbers will be made on Friday, port authorities said.
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