Relatives of dead refugees request burial ground in Lesvos
Relatives of the 71 dead refugees whose bodies are in the morgue of Lesvos’ hospital staged a protest rally outside the municipality’s offices on Friday, requesting that authorities find an area to bury them. They were joined by members of NGOs and volunteers operating on the island.
A part at the local cemetery of Agios Panteleimonas where Muslim refugees were being buried has been filled and authorities are struggling to find another plot of land for those who perish at sea during the dangerous crossing from Turkey to Greece. Their efforts are focusing on sorting out the paperwork that would allow them to extend the part of the cemetery.
In the meantime, the bodies of the dead are kept in a special fridge-container which volunteers recently acquired.
Earlier in the day, the body of a man was found on the island’s northern coast, believed to be one of the victims of the boat sinking of October 28, which resulted in more than 60 deaths. Authorities still don’t know how many people are still missing.
