Shafaqna English- Greece’s Coast Guard said it had found the bodies of at least 17 migrants in a partially deflated boat off the island of Crete. The victims as well as two survivors were discovered on Saturday (06 Dec 2025), some 26 nautical miles (48km) southwest of Crete.
Spokeswoman for the Greek coastguard told the AFP news agency that all of the victims were men.
“Two survivors in critical condition have been hospitalised,” the spokeswoman added. “Autopsies have to be carried out as the circumstances of the sinking are not known.”
The Athens News Agency reported that the boat was spotted by a Turkish cargo ship, which alerted the authorities. The Greek coastguard rushed two vessels to the scene, while the European Union’s border agency Frontex sent a boat, an aircraft and a Super Puma helicopter to help in the rescue effort.
The coastguard said that the two survivors had said their vessel had become unstable because of bad weather, and they had no way to cover up, nor to eat or drink anything.
Source: Al Jazeera