Two rescue operations were underway in Greece on Tuesday to find dozens of migrants after their boats sank in rough seas, the coastguard said.
Around 60 people are missing near the island of Euboea in the Aegean Sea, about 80 km northwest of Athens, a coast guard spokeswoman said. Your boat sank in wind speeds of over 60 km/h.
“One of our deep sea patrols picked up nine men on a small island. They said there were about 68 people on board,” she told AFP.
A similar operation was underway near the island of Samos, also in the Aegean Sea, to locate eight people believed to have been missing since Monday.
Four survivors said Monday there were 12 people on board their overturned canoe.
Greece has seen a surge in arrivals of migrants and refugees this year, most of whom set sail from nearby Turkish shores to flee wars and poverty to Europe.
Shipwrecks, often fatal, are very common in this area.
At least 30 people died when two migrant boats sank in the Aegean Sea in October.
In the first eight months of the year, the Greek Coast Guard reported the rescue of around 1,500 people, compared to fewer than 600 last year.
Greece, Italy and Spain are among the main arrival countries for migrants from Africa and the Middle East trying to reach the European Union.
According to Greek officials, smugglers currently often take the longer and more dangerous southern route, which starts from Lebanon rather than Turkey, to avoid European patrols in the Aegean and reach Italy.