Five dead, 20 missing after migrant boat capsizes south of Greece’s Crete island

Athens: Five migrants were confirmed dead and at least 20 others remained missing after a wooden boat carrying dozens of people capsized in waters south of Greece’s largest island Crete early Saturday, authorities said.

The tragic incident happened about 15 nautical miles (27 km) south of Kala Limena, a coastal settlement on the southern shore of Crete, according to the Greek coast guard.

Greek national broadcaster ERT reported that the tragedy occurred when one of two commercial vessels dispatched by the national search and rescue centre approached the migrants’ wooden boat. As passengers attempted to climb a ladder lowered from the ship, many moved simultaneously to one side of the overcrowded vessel, leading to its capsizal.

A cargo ship flying the Panamanian flag rescued 20 people, while vessels from the Hellenic Coast Guard and the European Union’s border agency, Frontex, recovered three bodies. Two more bodies were later found at sea.

Survivors told rescuers that about 50 people had been on board, raising fears that the death toll could rise. Search and rescue operations remain underway. Coast guard ships, passing commercial vessels, a helicopter and a military aircraft have been deployed.

Earlier this month, Greek authorities recovered the bodies of two migrants near the banks of the Evros River, which forms the natural border between Greece and Turkey, the Greek national broadcaster ERT reported.

The victims, two men believed to be aged about 20 and 35, were found near the town of Didymoteicho close to the river.

According to local sources, the two men were suspected to have died from hypothermia amid low temperatures after crossing the river.

Since 2015, Greece has been a major entry point into the European Union (EU) for irregular migrants and refugees. More than one million people have arrived in the country over the past decade. During these dangerous journeys, hundreds have lost their lives at sea and dozens more in the Evros River region.

Data released last month by the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex) showed that irregular migration flows through the Eastern Mediterranean route declined by 27 per cent in 2025 compared with the previous year.

Frontex figures indicated that approximately 51,400 irregular arrivals were recorded in Greece in 2025.

IANS