Greek authorities have recovered three more bodies from the sinking of a migrant boat that capsized off the coast of the country last week, bringing the number of bodies to 3 while about 81 are still missing.
A spokeswoman for the Greek coastguard said the three bodies found yesterday were in a "state of decomposition" and could not be immediately identified.
The spokeswoman told AFP that the coastguard found the bodies in the sea west of the Peloponnese peninsula, the area where the boat sank last Wednesday.
Around 700 migrants from Syria, Egypt and Pakistan were on board, setting off from Libya on a journey that was supposed to end in Italy.
But the boat sank off Greece's southwestern coast, and only 104 passengers survived.
Greece has faced a torrent of criticism over its handling of the disaster and accusations of possible responsibility for the sinking of the boat, which had been under surveillance by its coastguard several hours before the incident.
The United Nations has called for an in-depth investigation into the circumstances of the shipwreck and for urgent action to prevent further tragedies.
Egyptians Detained
Meanwhile, nine Egyptians detained by Athens on suspicion of being smugglers involved in the disaster are due to appear in a Greek court today. The authorities will decide whether to release them or detain them pending the start of the trial.
The lawyer for one of the detainees said his client was not a smuggler but a victim who paid for his transport to Italy.
The lawyer added that his client "left his country in search of a better life in Europe due to economic difficulties."
On the other hand, Al Jazeera correspondent Ayman al-Zubair – from the Greek city of Kalamata – said that the statements of the suspects went to reject the charges against them.
The correspondent pointed out that there is a convergence between their testimonies and the statements of witnesses who appeared before the Greek judiciary a few days ago, regarding the details of the last moments before the sinking of the boat, and they held the Greek Coast Guard responsible for the disaster.