SULAIMANI (ESTA) — A migrant boat in the Mediterranean Sea during stormy weather sank on Wednesday, and at least 15 people died and up to 90 were still missing.
Greek authorities rescued 30 migrants whose boat sank after hitting a rocky area in stormy waters near the island of Kythira, the coastguard said.
Authorities had mounted a search and rescue operation to save about 100 migrants who had been on board the vessel.
The vessel is believed traveled from neighboring Turkey, was hit by stormy weather, and sank near Greece’s Kythira.
Greek did not provide additional information on possible casualties or the nationality of the migrants.
Navy divers were also expected to arrive Thursday to help with the search and rescue operation.
Kythira is an island lying opposite the southeastern tip of the Peloponnese peninsula.
People smugglers have changed routes in recent months to try and avoid heavily patrolled waters around Greek islands.
Greece was the frontline of Europe’s migration crisis in 2015 and 2016, when a million refugees fleeing war and poverty from Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan arrived, mainly via Turkey.
