At least 20 migrants have died off the coast of the island of Crete / More than 100 people have been rescued

At least 20 migrants have died in two maritime incidents that occurred off the coast of the island of Crete, Greece. At the same time, more than 100 people were rescued on Monday in three operations conducted by the Hellenic Coast Guard and the European agency Frontex.

The two vessels were discovered approximately 15 nautical miles south-southwest of the town of Kaloi Limenes. A cargo ship flying the Moroccan flag identified one of the boats and took part in the operation coordinated by the Joint Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre. The Coast Guard rescued 18 people and recovered the victims.

At the same time, two other vessels were detected by unmanned aircraft operated by Frontex, south and southeast of Crete. Approximately 40 migrants were taken aboard a European vessel, while another 47 people were rescued in a similar operation.

The tragedies occurred after a shipwreck over the weekend. A tugboat rescued 28 Sudanese nationals and recovered the body of a man. Later, seven more victims were found on the vessel. In this case, two Sudanese nationals, aged 28 and 16, were arrested on charges of migrant trafficking and endangerment resulting in death. Crete is one of the main maritime routes for migrants departing from Libya for Greece.