At least 20 migrants have died in separate boat incidents while attempting to reach Greece’s Crete Island over the weekend, authorities have confirmed.
The Greek coast guard disclosed on Monday that the bodies were recovered from two boats, while about 40 other people were rescued during the operations.
According to the authorities, an emergency rescue operation was launched late Saturday after one of the boats sent a distress signal amid difficult sea conditions caused by strong winds.
About 28 survivors and one body, all reportedly Sudanese nationals, were initially rescued by another vessel passing through the area and later transferred to a police boat before being taken to Crete.
During a subsequent search operation overnight into Monday, coast guard personnel located the boat and recovered seven additional bodies, bringing the death toll from that incident to eight.
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In a separate incident south of the island, authorities recovered 12 bodies from another migrant boat, while 18 people were rescued.
Crete has increasingly become a major entry point into the European Union for migrants departing from Libya in search of better opportunities and safety in Europe.
However, the journey across the Mediterranean remains dangerous, with overcrowded and poorly equipped boats frequently encountering difficulties at sea.
Several attempted crossings have ended in tragedy as vessels capsize, sink or become stranded during the perilous journey.