16 Sep 2014 - IOM Greece staff in Crete today interviewed more survivors of the deliberate shipwreck of migrants heading to Europe from Egypt. The survivors provided corroboration that the traffickers turned violent when the 500 migrants they were escorting to Europe refused to switch to an unseaworthy boat. According to witnesses testimony the ship had two decks with 300 people below and 200 on the upper deck. They were at sea for four days and had to change to smaller vessels three times.  Witnesses stated that the 300 people who were in the lower deck were trapped and drowned immediately.  The survivors say they watched as those thrown in the water clung to each other trying to stay alive. Sometime later a freighter picked up nine survivors.  Seven of these, including a 2 year-old girl were flown by a Greek military helicopter to hospital in Crete.  One of the survivors perished and a girl remains in critical condition.