2 dead, 8 missing after vessel sinks in Aegean Sea

ATHENS - Two seamen died and eight went missing after two freight vessels collided and sank in the Aegean Sea on Monday.

The Cook Islands-flagged "Piri Reis" sank off the coast of the Peloponnese peninsula, according to local authorities.

Both victims, as well as the missing persons, are Syrian nationals employed among the 17-member crew, Greek Coast Guard officials told Greek news agency AMNA.

Survivors said the ship was transferring fertilizers from Algeria to Ukraine and was sailing off the islet of Sapienza, when it was hit under still unclear circumstances from the freighter "Consouth" registered in Antigua-Barbuda.

Greek Shipping Minister Costas Moussouroulis pointed to human error as the cause of the tragedy. Sources said the captain of "Piri Reis" was not on the bridge when the two vessels crashed.

The mayor of the nearby city of Methoni Dimitris Kafantaris added that when the accident occurred, there was good weather conditions in the area.

All 16 crew members on board the "Consouth" sailing from Turkey to Malta are safe, according to reports.

Greek Coast Guard speedboats supported by a C-30 aircraft and a helicopter are searching the area for the missing seamen.