EU watchdog opens probe in role of bloc’s border agency in Mediterranean shipwreck tragedy

The European Union's official watchdog said Wednesday it has opened a probe in the role of the bloc's Frontex border agency in the shipwreck off Greece last month that is feared to have killed hundreds of people in the Mediterranean Sea.

Migrant crossings in unseaworthy boats organzied by human traffickers from Northern Africa have spiked this year, with massive losses of life.

Now, EU ombudsman Emily O'Reilly wants her investigation to make clear to the public "who is accountable for these deaths" as Frontex has unclear jurisdiction and limits to its authority over member states like Greece when it comes to addressing the needs of those in distress on the high seas.

Key questions raised by the tragedy include to what extent the EU's Frontex agency could have been more involved in the rescue, what exactly did it communicate to Greek authorities and what level...