59 people died after the migrant boat capsized, many are missing

At least 59 people have drowned after a fishing boat carrying migrants capsized off the southern coast of Greece.

According to international media reports, Greek authorities say that the death toll may increase further. A large-scale search and rescue operation is underway in the area.

Officials said 104 people have been rescued so far after the nighttime crash, about 75 kilometers southwest of the southern Peloponnese region in Greece.

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Greece’s coast guard said it was not yet clear how many people were on board the boat and how many may still be missing at sea.

The search operation involved six Coast Guard ships, a Navy fleet, a military transport plane, an Air Force helicopter and several private vessels.

According to the International Organization for Migration, since the beginning of 2023, more than seven thousand migrants have been stopped in sea routes and sent back to Libya. According to this agency, this year alone, more than 600 people have drowned and 368 people are missing while trying to go to Europe from Libya.

According to the United Nations refugee agency, more than 50,000 migrants arrived on Italian shores during the same period, of which more than 22,000 were from Libya.