A drifting boat with 18 dead was found off the coast of Crete

Off the coast of the island of Crete, the Greek Coast Guard found an inflatable boat incapable of maneuvering with 18 dead migrants. This was reported by the Greek state television and radio company ERTnews.

It is reported that two people managed to survive, and the boat itself was deflated and half flooded with water.

"According to preliminary estimates, the cause of death was hypothermia and possibly starvation, as they remained defenseless at sea in bad weather," the report said.

The survivors, who are now undergoing rehabilitation after severe hypothermia, confirmed to local authorities that after the watercraft got out of control, the passengers did not have food and protective equipment. How long they remained in this position is not specified. Where exactly the migrants came from is also not yet known. According to ERTnews, this inflatable boat was the sixth of seven moving in bad weather in the direction of Crete.

Greece was one of the main points of arrival of refugees to the European Union in 2015 and 2016. Since then, their number has decreased, but since 2024, the number of boats with migrants has increased sharply again. This concerns, first of all, the route from Libya to the islands of Crete, Gavdos and Chrisi, which are closest to the African coast. According to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, in 2025, until the beginning of December, almost 17 thousand illegal migrants arrived in Crete. In recent days in A strong autumn storm raged in the Mediterranean Sea around Crete.