A probe has been launched into claims by Afghan migrants that a 15-year-old fellow national was beaten by coast guards at the port of Patras and that a 21-year-old Afghan subsequently died of shock, authorities said yesterday.

The two young men were part of a group of Afghans who tried to sneak into a truck due to board a ferry to Italy on Sunday evening but were spotted by coast guards who then chased them and beat the younger man, members of the group testified. According to the migrants, who have been living in a camp near the port, the 21-year-old died of shock upon seeing the alleged beating of the youngster.

The Port Authority refuted the beating charges and said the boy had sustained his injuries after jumping off some railings during the chase. A coroner said the 21-year-old died of natural causes and the boy’s injuries were the result of “impact upon a hard surface.”