Greek coastguard searches for migrants after boat sinks

Greek coastguards are searching for missing migrants, after their boat sank in the Aegan Sea.

1 min read

26 October, 2021

20 people have been rescued but several are missing [Getty]

Greece's coastguard on Tuesday said it had rescued 20 people from a migrant boat that sank in the Aegean Sea, and was looking for several others believed to be missing.

"According to those inside the boat, there were (originally) 27 people on board," the coastguard said in a statement.

A rescue operation was underway in rough weather near the island of Chios, it said.

Coastguard patrol boats, a NATO vessel, nearby ships and fishing boats and two helicopters were participating in the search.

According to the UN refugee agency UNHCR, over 2,500 people have crossed the Aegean from neighbouring Turkey this year, compared to over 9,700 in 2020.

Over 100 people died or are missing in migrant boat sinkings last year, the agency's data show.