One dead, dozens missing in migrant shipwreck off southern Crete

Greek authorities have recovered the body of a man and rescued 39 migrants from the sea after their boat capsized off the southern island of Gavdos in the Mediterranean, its coastguard said on Saturday.

Many are still missing, according to witnesses, and the coastguard has launched a search operation assisted by vessels and aircraft since they were alerted about the incident on Friday night.

In separate incidents on Saturday, a Malta-flagged cargo vessel rescued 47 migrants from a boat sailing about 40 nautical miles off Gavdos, while a tanker rescued another 88 migrants some 28 nautical miles off the tiny island in Greece’s south.

According to initial information, coastguard officials believe the boats left together from Libya.

Greece was a favoured gateway to the European Union for migrants and refugees from the Middle East, Africa and Asia in 2015-2016, when nearly 1 million people landed on its islands, mostly via inflatable dinghies.

The search began on Friday evening, when authorities received an emergency call according to Reuters

Source: pagenews.gr