10 rescued, dozens missing after migrant boat sinks off Greek island

Athens, Nov 2 A man was rescued by a cargo ship after a boat carrying 68 migrants sank near Cape Kafireas, Evia Island. The rescue of the man brings the total number of survivors to 10, according to the Hellenic Coast Guard.

The rescue operation has been underway since early Tuesday morning in the Aegean Sea. None of the survivors was wearing lifejackets, the Coast Guard said on Tuesday.

The migrants were from Egypt, Afghanistan and Iran, Coast Guard spokesperson Commander Nikos Kokkalas told state media. He said the rescue operation had been hampered by strong winds of up to 9 on the Beaufort scale, Xinhua news agency reported.

More than one million people have illegally entered Greece since 2015. Most have continued their journey to other European countries, but hundreds more have drowned at sea.

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