Pope Francis expresses ‘great pain’ over death of migrants off Greece

Pope Francis on Friday expressed “great pain” over the death of at least 78 migrants after their boat capsized and sank off southwestern Greece earlier this week.

“I feel great pain at the death of the migrants, including many children, in the shipwreck in the Aegean Sea,” Pope Francis said on Twitter.

“We must do everything possible so that migrants fleeing war and poverty do not meet death while seeking a future of hope,” he added.

Furthermore, the pope sent a telegram of condolence addressed to Archbishop Jan Romeo Pawlowski, the apostolic nuncio in Greece, the Vatican News agency reported.

In the telegram, he said he is "deeply dismayed to learn of the shipwreck off the coast of Greece with its devastating loss of life,” and offered prayers “for the many migrants who have died, for their loved ones, and for all those traumatized by this tragedy."

At least 78 migrants died off southwestern Greece when a migrant boat that is reportedly carrying up to 700 migrants, including women and children, sank in the early hours of June 14.

So far, Greek authorities rescued 104 people, nine of whom are being investigated over allegations of human smuggling.

While the search efforts are still underway, hundreds of more are feared to have drowned.