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Archive photo · 17 July 2015Greek Authorities Recover 12 Bodies After Migrant Boat Found South of Crete
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Twelve bodies recovered from a migrant boat south of Crete; eighteen survivors rescued. A Moroccan-flagged cargo ship rescued the eighteen survivors near Crete.
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Crete boat deaths
Greek authorities recovered 12 bodies from a boat carrying migrants found sailing south of Greece’s island of Crete early Monday, while a passing Moroccan-flagged cargo ship rescued 18 people from the same vessel, the coast guard said. The coast guard said the boat was found about 15 nautical miles south of the southern Mediterranean island of Crete on Monday morning, and it said another two boats, one carrying about 47 people and another with about 40 people on board, were also found sailing south of Crete. Frontex located one of those boats with an aircraft and found the other with a drone, and the coast guard said those on board were rescued by Frontex and were being taken to a port on the southern coast of Crete.
Euronews said three separate search and rescue operations were conducted in the early hours of Monday, during which a total of 105 people were recovered, including 40 on the two boats it described as carrying migrants. Euronews also said the boat and those on board were initially located by a container ship sailing under the Moroccan flag, which took part in the operation following coordination by the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (JRCC).
Rescue operations and distances
A Frontex unmanned aircraft located a second boat carrying about 40 foreign nationals at a distance of 31 nautical miles southeast of Crete, and the passengers were expected to be taken to the port of Kaloi Limenes in Crete. A similar operation followed for a third boat, which was spotted by a Frontex aircraft about 30 nautical miles south of Kaloi Limenes, with some 47 foreign nationals rescued by a ship of the European force. CBC said the coast guard described the boat they were travelling in as found about 15 nautical miles, about 28 kilometres, south of Crete, and it said the identities of the 12 people who died were not immediately available.
Channels Television said eight bodies were found on one boat and 12 on another, while some 40 people were rescued off both, and it said maritime police launched an emergency rescue late Saturday after a boat issued an alarm signal. Channels Television said the coast guard found their boat during the night from Sunday to Monday, with seven additional bodies on board, and it said the coast guard also reported 12 bodies found on a boat south of the island on Monday while 18 people were rescued.
Arrests and totals
The port authorities received a report of a boat with foreign nationals in serious difficulty at sea about six nautical miles southwest of Kaloi Limenes on Friday afternoon, and the tug "Pyrrhos" was immediately mobilised. The tug took on board 28 Sudanese nationals, as well as the body of a man, and survivors’ statements indicated two more people on board had fallen into the sea and were missing. Authorities arrested two Sudanese nationals, aged 28 and 16, who were identified by other passengers as the individuals allegedly in charge of the smuggling operation, and it said they were charged with illegal entry into the country, facilitating illegal entry, forming a criminal organisation and fatal exposure.
AOL.co.uk said at least 20 people were found dead in two boats carrying foreign nationals about 15 nautical miles south-southwest of Kaloi Limenes, and it said 105 people were recovered across three search and rescue operations. AOL.co.uk also said officers located and recovered twelve bodies from the boat, and it said the Coast Guard rescued 18 foreign nationals from the vessel.