ISLAMABAD: One person has died, and 25 others are missing after a boat carrying migrants sank off the Greek island of Gavdos, south of Crete, the Greek coast guard said on Monday.
A coast guard spokesman said two boats in the area rescued at least 51 people after the vessel went down.
“Fifty-one were picked up by two boats that were in the area,” the spokesman told AFP, citing accounts from those rescued that 77 people had been aboard the boat.
The figures indicate that 26 people were initially unaccounted for, one of whom was later confirmed dead.
Greek authorities searching for 25 missing
Greek authorities were searching the area for the 25 missing people, with the rescue operation continuing off Gavdos.
The small island, located south of Crete, lies along a Mediterranean migration route used by people seeking to reach Europe from North Africa.
The route has seen repeated attempts by migrants to cross the sea in overcrowded and unsafe vessels and boats.
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The latest sinking adds to the dangers faced by migrants making the Mediterranean crossing, one of the world’s busiest and deadliest migration routes.
Greek authorities continued search and rescue operations in the area for 25 missing people as efforts focused on locating the 25 people still missing. The circumstances surrounding the sinking, including the condition of the vessel and what caused it to go down, were not immediately clear
