In brief
Greek authorities rescued 133 migrants and recovered 20 bodies after a string of incidents off Crete's southern coast, with a container ship spotting a distressed boat 15 nautical miles from Kaloi Limenes. Amid a rise in arrivals to the island, 28 Sudanese were rescued last weekend, and several bodies were found in a boat earlier Monday. Details about the deceased remain unknown.
At least 20 people died and 133 were rescued after four migrant boats ran aground in waters south of Crete, Greek authorities reported on Monday, Nov. 9, 2026.
A container ship sighted a distressed boat about 15 nautical miles southeast of Kaloi Limenes. A Greek Coast Guard vessel later rescued 18 survivors and recovered the remains of 12 people, the point of departure of the fatalities and their identities were not disclosed.
In two additional operations carried out by the European Union’s border agency Frontex, vessels located boats carrying approximately 47 and 40 migrants, respectively. Frontex rescued all aboard and is transporting the survivors to Crete’s southern ports.
The most recent emergency, dated Saturday, involved 28 Sudanese migrants who were rescued and one body recovered. Early Monday, seven additional bodies were discovered inside the same boat, following severe weather that had initially hampered rescue efforts.
Greek sources confirm that 20 bodies have been recovered in total from the four incidents, while 133 individuals were rescued. The identities and circumstances of the deceased remain unconfirmed by official agencies.
These incidents come amid a sharp increase in migrant arrivals on Crete, which rose 105 percent to roughly 21,000 between July 2025 and June 2026, making the island account for almost half of all arrivals in Greece. The European Commission’s 2026 Annual Asylum and Migration Report notes that illegal border crossings into Greece fell 23 percent during the same period.
Official reports have not clarified how the bodies were recovered, whether the victims were on board at the time of the incidents, or whether any additional casualties remain missing.
