Filenews 26 January 2023 - by Natasha Christoforou
Two children, 3 and 8 years old, who were on the boat that sailed adrift last Wednesday off Cyprus continue to be treated in the Children's Intensive Care Unit of Makarios Hospital.
The 8-year-old child was transferred on Thursday night to the ICU from the Pournara Accommodation Center, since he suffers from a disease that requires specialized treatment. Good news for the sister of the three-year-old girl who passed away, who has overcome the danger. The five-year-old girl, according to information from the Cyprus Health Organization, was discharged from the ICU this afternoon and is now being treated in the paediatric ward of Makarios Hospital. Both children who were hospitalized at Famagusta General Hospital were discharged.
Today, an autopsy was carried out on the body of the three-year-old girl, who died on Thursday morning. The autopsy, performed at Nicosia Hospital, showed no cause of death, so biological samples were taken for laboratory tests. The funeral of the unfortunate girl will take place, as announced, at the expense of the Cypriot state.
Famagusta ICF investigators, meanwhile, are continuing their examinations to clarify the activities of the alleged migrant smuggler, who is under eight-day detention. The 47-year-old Syrian, who is also suspected of murder after the three-year-old's death, is expected to be questioned again in a bid to determine whether he had accomplices in Cyprus. The suspect, who applied for asylum in Greece two years ago, is believed to be part of a migrant smuggling network from Lebanon to Cyprus.
Police continue to receive statements from migrants who were on the boat, who were transferred to the Pournara Accommodation Center in Kokkinotrimithia. Most migrants said they paid smugglers between $2,500 and $2,500 to take them to Cyprus.
The wooden boat in which 62 people were crammed set off on January 18 from Lebanon and lay adrift at sea for six days. Police examinations showed that the boat did not have a compass, GPS or other means of navigation and did not have enough fuel. In the middle of the journey, the engine of the boat failed, the occupants of which, including many children, had been without food and water for days.
A major operation was set up early on Wednesday by the JRCC to rescue the migrants, with three children and one adult being transported unconscious due to dehydration by helicopters to hospitals. The remaining migrants were taken to Ayia Napa Marina and seven of them were taken to hospitals.
