At least five migrants have died, and many are feared missing after a wooden boat capsized off the southern Greek island of Gavdos, the Greek coastguard reported on Saturday. The tragedy unfolded Friday night, sparking an extensive search and rescue operation.
So far, 39 men, most of whom are from Pakistan, have been rescued by cargo vessels in the area. The survivors were transferred to the island of Crete. However, authorities have not yet confirmed the number of missing persons.
Search operations are ongoing, involving coastguard boats, merchant vessels, an Italian frigate, and naval aircraft.
In separate incidents on Saturday, rescue efforts continued in the surrounding waters:
– A Malta-flagged cargo ship saved 47 migrants from a boat about 40 nautical miles from Gavdos.
– A tanker rescued an additional 88 migrants roughly 28 nautical miles away from the island.
Initial investigations suggest that the boats involved in these incidents departed from Libya. This aligns with a troubling trend of increased migrant crossings through the central Mediterranean over the past year.
While Greece has historically been a primary entry point for migrants into the European Union—especially during the peak of the 2015–2016 migration crisis—shipwrecks around Crete and Gavdos have been on the rise. These isolated areas in the central Mediterranean have become increasingly treacherous routes for migrants seeking a better life.
In 2023, the Mediterranean witnessed one of its deadliest migrant disasters when an overcrowded vessel sank off the coast of Pylos in southwestern Greece, claiming hundreds of lives.
The latest incident highlights the enduring challenges of migration across the Mediterranean. Greek authorities and international organizations continue to grapple with ensuring the safety of those attempting these perilous journeys while managing migration pressures on the region.
