Two dead, eight missing after ship sinks off Greek coast

Two Syrian seamen have died and eight others are missing after a cargo ship sank off southern Greece following a collision with another freighter, officials said today.

A large rescue operation was mounted after the accident happened just before 7am local time (4am Irish Time) some 78 miles (125km) south-west of the southern Peloponnese peninsula, a Merchant Marine Ministry statement said.

It was not immediately clear what caused the collision between the Antigua-flagged Consouth and the Cook Islands-flagged Piri Reis in the Mediterranean Sea.

Weather conditions were good at the time, which facilitated rescue efforts involving coastguard vessels, merchant ships, a rescue helicopter and an airforce C-130 transport plane.

The Piri Reis, which was carrying a cargo of fertiliser to a Ukrainian port, sank and seven of its crew of 17 Syrian seamen were rescued. Two bodies were pulled out of the sea a few hours after the collision.

The Consouth, sailing without freight from Turkey to Malta, had 16 Russian, Filippino and Polish seamen on board, all who were unhurt, the ministry said.