42 people rescued as migrant boat off the coast of Greece signals for assistance

The Greek coast guard saved 42 people from a boat in trouble in the Mediterranean Sea near Crete. However, three people are still missing. The boat was carrying migrants.

Authorities were told by the Italian coast guard that a boat was in trouble 27 nautical miles (31 miles, 50 kilometers) south of Crete. The coast guard of Greece saved 40 people with ships and later two more people were rescued by a Greek navy helicopter.

The coast guard has been told by survivors that three people are still missing. Officials are searching for them. It was not known right away what type of boat the passengers were on or why the boat called for help.

Thursday’s rescue happened before a trial for nine Egyptian migrants in Greece. They are being accused of causing a shipwreck that killed people last year.

Greece is a common destination for people escaping war and poverty in the Middle East, Africa and Asia, trying to get into the European Union. Many people come to Greece from Turkey by crossing the eastern Aegean Sea islands. Some people also try to go from North Africa to Italy through the longer and more dangerous Mediterranean route, bypassing Greece.

The boats that are carrying too many things often have problems with the engine or get blown off course. This can make them end up near southern or western Greece.

In June 2023, a very full fishing boat that had left Libya sank in deep waters near the western coast of Greece, and around 500 people died. More than 100 people were saved, but less than 80 dead bodies were found.

Nine people from Egypt who survived a shipwreck will be on trial next week in a Greek city called Kalamata. They are accused of helping people enter the country illegally, being part of a criminal group, causing a deadly accident, and other crimes.

Their legal representatives from Greece said on Thursday that they were wrongly accused, and mentioned that an investigation into why the boat sank is still happening.

“For almost a year, nine people have been locked up in prison and they don’t know why,” said lawyer Dimitrios Choulis to reporters in Athens.

“They survived even though they couldn’t swim and didn’t have life jackets. They were facing certain death. Nine other survivors told the authorities about them,” Choulis said.

“It makes me very sad to visit and see people in prison who don’t know why they’re there. “