ATHENS, July 23 (Xinhua) -- A total of 36 migrants were rescued on Thursday in the sea area southeast of the Crete island, according to an e-mailed press release by Greece's Coast Guard.
A search and rescue operation coordinated by the Coast Guard was still underway, as survivors stated that 45 people were aboard the boat sinking about 60 nautical miles off the island, said the press release.
The operation was hampered by strong winds of up to 7 on the Beaufort scale blowing in the area, it added.
It has not been clarified yet where they boarded the boat, what their destination was, as well as their nationalities.
Since 2015 when the mass flows of refugees and migrants started, over a million people reached Greece. Most continued their journey to other European countries until the closure of borders along the Balkan route in the winter of 2016.
