At least 78 people have died and dozens are feared missing off the coast of southern Greece after a fishing boat carrying migrants capsized and sank, authorities said on Wednesday.
A large search and rescue operation was launched following the night-time incident some 45 miles (75km) south-west of the Peloponnese region.
Authorities said 104 people have been rescued so far, including four who were taken to hospital with symptoms of hypothermia. It was unclear how many remained missing after the Greek coast guard reported 78 dead.
Six coast guard vessels, a navy frigate, a military transport plane, an air force helicopter, several private vessels and a drone from the European Union border protection agency Frontex were taking part in the ongoing search.
The Italy-bound boat is believed to have sailed from the Tobruk area in eastern Libya. The Italian coast guard first alerted Greek authorities and Frontex about the approaching vessel on Tuesday.
Smugglers are increasingly taking larger boats into international waters off the Greek mainland to try to avoid local coast guard patrols. On Sunday, 90 migrants on a US-flagged yacht were rescued in the area after they made a distress call.
Separately on Wednesday, a yacht with more than 70 migrants on board was towed to a port on the south coast of Greece’s island of Crete after authorities received a distress call.
