More than 300 Pakistani nationals have been killed in the sinking of a overcrowded fishing trawler off the coast of Greece, the latest tragedy to expose the refugee crisis confronting the European Union as tens of thousands seek sanctuary from war, persecution and poverty.
And everyone posting attention to some millionaires in their submarine doing this as an option instead of as a need to get a better life, escape hunger or poverty.
TBF the boat disaster could have been a rescue story as well if someone cared enough. There are two major countries naval fleets in the Atlantic, whereas the story is much different in the Mediterranean.
I think it's also because the news heavily cares about how different and interesting a story is. The sub story:
Is just weird and different. Boats sinking happens all the time, but disappearing subs is rare and unusual. It's like how car crashes will barely get any attention but plain crashes will.
The fact that the sub is still out there makes for a continuing story to report. There's also the mystery element of "what went wrong?" I see a parallel to MH370, that plane that mysteriously vanished over the ocean a few years ago.
It gets to prey more heavily on people's fear. Being on a sinking boat is scary, but there's something even scarier about being in a stuck sub that can't even be easily reached and has no possibility of escape from.
Honestly packing that many people on a boat is the same level of stupidity as a billionaire making his own submarine from parts he got at Home Depot then dying in it after repeated warnings...
Greek here, they were illegal immigrants. They were helpless people in a boat with a broken engine. They were people fleeing from a war. They were people that didn't ask for help fearing pushbacks, concetration camps, and police abuse. They were people the coast guard stood and watched them die for 3 days.
The chairman of of Pakistan’s Senate, Muhammad Sadiq Sanjrani, disclosed the numbers in a statement Sunday, sending condolences to grieving families of the dead.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with you, and we pray that the departed souls find eternal peace,” Sanjrani said. “This devastating incident underscores the urgent need to address and condemn the abhorrent act of illegal human trafficking.”