302 migrants rescued from sinking boat in Greece

Athens: Three bodies were recovered and 302 people rescued yesterday from a sinking migrant boat carrying a "significant number" of people in the Mediterranean Sea south of Crete, Greek authorities said.

After yesterday's boat tragedy in south of Greece, the bodies of more than 100 migrants have washed up on a Libyan beach. Pic/AFP

The coast guard said the roughly 25 meter vessel, which resembled a large fishing boat, had been carrying an undetermined number of people when it was located yesterday half-sunk about 75 nautical miles south of Crete in international waters, and within Egypt's search and rescue area of operation. Greece was sending two patrol vessels, a military airplane and three helicopters, while five passing ships were participating in the rescue operation and one more was on its way. The coast guard said the operation was continuing to locate any potentially missing passengers from the migrant boat. It was not immediately clear where the boat's passengers were from, or where the vessel had set off from or was heading to.

104 bodies wash up in Libya
The bodies of at least 104 migrants have washed up on a beach in the western Libyan town of Zwara, the navy said yesterday, warning that the toll could rise. "The toll is expected to rise since an average boat carries 115-125 passengers," Libyan navy spokesman Colonel Ayoub Qassem said.