NICOSIA, March 18 (Xinhua) -- Cyprus Defense Minister Vasilis Palmas stated on Tuesday that the chances of finding more survivors from a refugee boat that capsized off the island's southeastern coast are "increasingly unlikely."
The vessel, carrying an estimated 20 to 25 people, overturned in the Mediterranean Sea. Cypriot rescue teams managed to save two individuals and recover seven bodies from the water on Monday.
"According to experts, a person can survive for a maximum of 40 hours in water temperatures ranging from 16 to 17 degrees Celsius. As more time passes without locating additional survivors, it becomes increasingly probable that more bodies will be found instead," Palmas explained.
Authorities hope to gather further details about the boat's journey from the two survivors, who are currently receiving medical treatment in a hospital. Palmas described them as being "in shock and deeply distressed," suffering from dehydration and hypothermia. Their initial accounts were incoherent due to their physical and emotional state.
Palmas said that a non-governmental organization contacted Cyprus' Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (JRCC) on Sunday to report a missing boat carrying refugees.
A subsequent aerial search failed to detect any trace of the vessel. However, on Monday, a Cypriot National Guard navy boat patrolling international waters spotted a survivor floating in the sea. Later, another survivor was rescued by helicopter, and seven bodies were retrieved. The authorities reported that the passengers aboard were probably all Syrians aged between 25 and 30.
Earlier on Tuesday, Deputy JRRC Commander Admiral George Economou confirmed that "a large-scale operation" is ongoing to locate the remaining missing individuals.
This incident marks the first reported case of a refugee boat attempting to reach Cyprus from Syria since the collapse of the Assad regime last December.
