http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/oct/01
Devil and the deep blue sea: how Mediterranean migrant disaster unfolded
Desperate migrants from Gaza and Syria tell how they put themselves at the mercy of people smugglers – and hundreds died at sea
Peter Beaumont in Gaza and Patrick Kingsley in Alexandria
The first the crew of the Antarctica knew of the disaster was a radio request to help a search and rescue operation. There were bodies in the water 200 miles off the coast of Malta. Two other ships – the Verdi and the Japan – were already at the scene, picking people out of the sea. The Antarctica was swiftly diverted and took command until the arrival of coastguard and naval ships.