[ad_1]
ATHENS, GREECE: A major search and rescue operation has been launched off the southern coast of Greece after a fishing boat carrying dozens of migrants capsized and sank.
So far, 104 people have been rescued following the accident, which occurred on Wednesday night, 75 km (46 miles) southwest of Greece’s southern Peloponnese region, authorities said. Four of the survivors were hospitalized with symptoms of hypothermia.
Six coast guard vessels Navy A frigate, a military transport vehicle and an Air Force helicopter, as well as a number of private vessels, are participating in the search for others believed to be missing.
The boat bound for Italy is believed to have set sail from Binary use in eastern Libya. Greek authorities and the EU Border Protection Agency frontex The Italian Coast Guard was alerted about the ship’s approach on Tuesday.
Smugglers are increasingly taking larger boats into international waters off the Greek mainland in an effort to avoid local coast guard patrols.
On Sunday, 90 immigrants were rescued on an American-flagged yacht in the area after they made a distress call.
Separately on Wednesday, a yacht carrying more than 70 migrants was towed to a port on the southern coast of Crete after authorities received a distress call.
So far, 104 people have been rescued following the accident, which occurred on Wednesday night, 75 km (46 miles) southwest of Greece’s southern Peloponnese region, authorities said. Four of the survivors were hospitalized with symptoms of hypothermia.
Six coast guard vessels Navy A frigate, a military transport vehicle and an Air Force helicopter, as well as a number of private vessels, are participating in the search for others believed to be missing.
The boat bound for Italy is believed to have set sail from Binary use in eastern Libya. Greek authorities and the EU Border Protection Agency frontex The Italian Coast Guard was alerted about the ship’s approach on Tuesday.
Smugglers are increasingly taking larger boats into international waters off the Greek mainland in an effort to avoid local coast guard patrols.
On Sunday, 90 immigrants were rescued on an American-flagged yacht in the area after they made a distress call.
Separately on Wednesday, a yacht carrying more than 70 migrants was towed to a port on the southern coast of Crete after authorities received a distress call.
[ad_2]
