Egypt reported on Wednesday that 18 of its citizens remain missing after a migrant boat capsized last week off the Greek island of Crete, leaving four people dead.
The wooden vessel, carrying 50 passengers—including four minors—was reported to Greek authorities late Friday. A commercial vessel was directed to the scene to assist in a rescue operation.
According to ERT, the accident occurred when migrants attempted to climb ladders onto the rescue ship, causing the wooden boat to capsize.
Egypt’s foreign ministry said that 21 Egyptians were on board; three have been found dead, while the remaining 18 are still missing. Greek authorities also recovered the body of a 28-year-old Sudanese woman.
Twenty migrants were rescued by the commercial vessel, leaving several others unaccounted for. Greek authorities have arrested two Sudanese men suspected of being people smugglers, who are set to appear before judges on Wednesday, according to local media outlet Creta24.
The boat is believed to have departed from Libya. Migrants often attempt the dangerous crossing from Libya to Crete, a gateway to the European Union.
More than 17,000 Egyptians reached Europe via the Mediterranean last year, making them the top African and second-largest global group of irregular migrants. Many come from poor towns in the Nile Delta and face arbitrary detention, torture, sexual violence, and forced labor in Libya. Families are frequently extorted to secure the release of migrants held hostage by smugglers.
Egypt’s foreign ministry urged citizens to “exercise extreme caution to avoid being misled by illegal immigration gangs” and confirmed it is coordinating the repatriation of the deceased.
