Tragic Incident: Migrant Vessel Capsizes Near Greece's Crete, One Fatality

Athens, Dec 14 (NationPress) A man tragically lost his life when a migrant vessel capsized off the coast of Crete in southern Greece on Friday night, according to reports from Greek authorities on Saturday.

The Hellenic Coast Guard issued a press release stating that 33 individuals were rescued, while a rescue operation continued, as the precise number of people aboard at the time of the incident remained uncertain.

The nationalities of the migrants and the boat's route are still to be determined.

Between Friday evening and Saturday morning, a total of 163 people were rescued in three separate incidents in the waters off Crete and the Peloponnese peninsula, as per the Hellenic Coast Guard.

Since 2015, Greece has become a significant entry point for irregular migrants and refugees attempting to enter the European Union, with over one million arrivals documented during this time. Unfortunately, hundreds have lost their lives at sea during these dangerous journeys.

In October as well, several people died, and others were rescued after boats carrying migrants sank near the Greek island of Crete and the island of Kos.

The Hellenic Coast Guard reported that over the past nine years, more than one million people have reached the shores of Greece, with hundreds perishing in the sea.

Data from the European Border and Coast Guard Agency, Frontex, indicated that the influx to the Eastern Mediterranean has continued to increase this year, rising by 15 percent in the first nine months of 2024 compared to the same timeframe last year.

Approximately 45,600 arrivals were documented in Greek waters from January to October this year. September marked the busiest month, with the highest recorded number of 6,750 arrivals, compared to 5,600 in the Central Mediterranean.

The majority of new arrivals in Greece in 2024 were from Syrians, Afghans, and Egyptians.