A group of 120 migrants were found early Sunday near the island of Kythera in southern Greece after calling for help when their boat took on water, a spokeswoman for the Greek coastguard said.
“A sailboat was located at (the islet of) Avgo, south of Kythera,” the spokeswoman told AFP, adding that the migrants had called European emergency number 112.
According to the state-run Athens News Agency, the call was placed through a mobile phone and the migrants managed to reach the shore on their own, while the coastguard searched the area for more possible survivors.
Meanwhile, after spotting an Egyptian man near Crete, the coastguard carried out a search for 15 undocumented migrants that he said sailed with him from Egypt to the southern Greek island, state broadcaster Net reported.
The man told authorities that the other 15 passengers went ashore on Crete and were picked up by cars, according to the coastguard spokeswoman.
According to Net, authorities are also on the hunt for the sailboat and any human smugglers.
Greece, because of its geographical position at the southeastern tip of the European Union, is a major hub for undocumented migrants wanting to enter Europe.
(source: Net, AFP, dailystar)
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