At least 21 people die off Crete — Al Jazeera

At least 21 people died off the southern coast of the Greek island of Crete while trying to reach Europe by sea. The Greek coast guard carried out several search and rescue operations for migrants and refugees, Al Jazeera reports.

Sea rescue operation

Early on November 9, a Moroccan-flagged container ship spotted a vessel south of Crete. The coast guard found 12 bodies and rescued 18 people. All were brought ashore, but one more person later died in hospital.

The cause of the deaths was not immediately established. According to Greek authorities, the boat may have been at sea for several days and was unable to reach shore because of strong winds.

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Other boats near the island

On the evening of November 7, the coast guard found another boat near Crete’s southern coast. Rescuers found eight bodies and saved 28 migrants and refugees. Two more people are considered missing.

Two other boats were also found south of the island, with approximately 47 and 40 people on board. The European Union border agency Frontex deployed an aircraft and a drone to detect the boats. Those rescued were taken to a port on Crete’s southern coast.

Crete has become one of the main entry points to the EU for people leaving countries in the Middle East, Africa and Asia because of conflict and poverty. Frontex reported that it recorded about 31,800 irregular crossings of the European Union’s borders in the first three quarters of 2026, 15% fewer than in the same period last year.