A boat carrying migrants from Libya to the island of Crete began taking on water and lost power. As a result of the incident, at least one person died and another 20 are considered missing, UNN reports, citing AP.
The Greek Coast Guard said that early Monday morning, 51 people were rescued at the scene — approximately 75 kilometers south of Crete. Patrol boats, a helicopter, a drone and commercial vessels were involved in the search operation; the European Union border protection agency Frontex also provided assistance.
The dangerous route across the Mediterranean from eastern Libya to Crete has become one of the busiest routes for irregular migration to Europe, while the number of migrants has generally declined on other routes.