Death Toll Rises to 78 After Refugee Boat Sinks Off Greece

On Wednesday, national broadcaster ERT said that the death toll has risen to 78 following the capsizing of a fishing boat carrying refugees and migrants off southwestern Greece.

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A total of 104 passengers have been rescued, while a search and rescue operation was underway to locate a yet unclear number of missing, according to the latest report.

The incident happened in international waters, 47 nautical miles off the coast of Pylos town during nighttime between Tuesday and Wednesday, and survivors told authorities the fishing boat had sailed off from Tobruk in Libya and was heading for Italy.

The Hellenic Coast Guard said in an earlier press release that none of the passengers were wearing a life jacket and Greek authorities were alerted by Italy about the incident.

The nationalities of victims and survivors have not been identified yet. Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou will travel to Kalamata, where the rescued are being transferred.

On Tuesday evening, in a separate incident south of Crete island, Greek authorities rescued 80 migrants and refugees who were on board a sailing boat, news agency AMNA reported.

Greece has been at the forefront of the refugee and migrant influx since 2015 and hundreds have perished in the Aegean Sea in the past eight years.