Tragedy at Sea: Migrant Boat Capsizes Off Greece

A wooden boat carrying migrants capsized off Greece's southern island of Gavdos, resulting in at least five fatalities. Rescue operations are ongoing with 39 individuals saved so far. In related incidents, other vessels rescued additional migrants in the region. Boat journeys to Europe continue despite increased risks.

At least five migrants lost their lives after a wooden boat capsized near Greece's southern island of Gavdos, the coastguard reported on Saturday. Rescue efforts to find the missing are still underway.

So far, 39 men, primarily from Pakistan, have been rescued by nearby cargo vessels and taken to Crete. The extent of those missing remains uncertain. Since the incident was reported on Friday night, coastguard boats, merchant vessels, an Italian frigate, and naval aircraft have been engaged in a comprehensive search operation.

In related incidents on Saturday, a Malta-flagged cargo vessel saved 47 migrants from a boat roughly 40 nautical miles from Gavdos, while a tanker rescued another 88 migrants 28 nautical miles from the island. Initial reports suggest the vessels departed from Libya. Greece, once a major gateway for migrants during 2015-2016, continues to experience a high number of dangerous sea journeys.

(With inputs from agencies.)