Boat with migrants sinks off Crete, at least 12 dead
The Greek coastguard rescued 18 people from a migrant boat off Crete's south coast. Bodies were found on board; sources give the death toll as 12 or 13.
Author: Thames Compass editorial teamPublished: 2 min read
Contents
A tragedy has occurred off the south coast of Crete. On Monday 9 November 2026, the Greek coastguard said it had rescued 18 people from a boat carrying migrants. According to BBC News, all of those rescued were Sudanese nationals.
Death toll
BBC News reported that 13 people died after the boat sank. The Polish Press Agency (PAP), citing Reuters, said the coastguard found the bodies of 12 people on board. The difference may stem from later findings by rescuers or from a different way of counting. The sources we consulted do not explain it, so we say at least 12 people died.
Location
According to the Greek coastguard, the boat was about 30 km from the port of Kali Limenes on Crete's south coast. In separate rescue operations, vessels of the EU's Frontex agency rescued 87 people. They were about 55 km south of Crete. PAP took this information from the ekathimerini.com website.
Background
Crete is one of the places reached by boats carrying migrants from North Africa. PAP recalls data from the International Organization for Migration (IOM). According to it, around 2,900 people died or went missing in the Mediterranean in the first half of 2026.
Based on the available sources, we do not know how many people were on the boat or the circumstances in which it sank. It is also unclear whether the search is continuing.
What this means for you
The incident has no direct effect on residence rules or travel to Greece. Tourists visiting Crete are not affected by any restrictions linked to it. The matter concerns mainly safety on migration routes in the Mediterranean.
Sources
This article was prepared automatically by AI from the listed sources and published without prior editorial review. Spotted a mistake? Use the “Report an error in this article” button.
Photos
- Cover: „lighthouse, sea, mood, clouds, fishing boat”, author: lukasbieri, licence Pixabay Content License; cropped or resized.
- Photo 1: „coast guard, canada, boat, canadian coast guard, marina”, author: NWimagesbySabrinaE, licence Pixabay Content License; cropped or resized.
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