ATHENS, Nov. 8 (Xinhua) -- One man was found dead and 28 migrants were rescued during a search and rescue operation off the southern coast of Crete, the Greek national news agency AMNA reported on Sunday.
According to the Greek Coast Guard, a boat carrying migrants, located about six nautical miles south-southwest of the port of Kali Limenes on Saturday afternoon, issued a distress signal and prompted an immediate rescue operation.
A Panama-flagged container ship and a tugboat took part in the operation, rescuing the 28 migrants and recovering a man's body. The rescued migrants were taken to the port of Kali Limenes, while two were transferred to a health center for medical treatment, AMNA reported.
The Coast Guard said the operation took place amid difficult weather conditions. According to preliminary data, most of the survivors were Sudanese.
The incident came amid an increase in migrant arrivals on Crete, despite an overall decline in illegal border crossings into Greece. ■
