Two migrant boats in Greece in distress How the fate of Tico, the manatee, turned into a matter of state

At least two boats with dozens of migrants on board were in distress in Greek waters on Wednesday.

The coastguard and crews of passing vessels were able to rescue 80 people from the Peloponnese peninsula in the morning after their boat capsized, as reported by the state broadcaster (ERT), citing the authority. Also in the morning, south of Crete, a sailboat occupied by migrants became distressed. Dozens of people were also rescued there. In both cases, the searches were still ongoing.

According to the rescued people, the boat that capsized off the Peloponnese peninsula started in Tobruk, Libya. It was not initially clear how many people were on board.

Last Saturday, a boat with 90 migrants on board was in distress off the southern coast of Greece. All people could be saved.

During the long journeys from Turkey or North Africa, accidents always happen because the boats are often old and not seaworthy. Also, there is usually no skipper on board who has been trained for the dangerous journey. At least 326 people were killed in the region last year, according to the UN. However, the Coast Guard assumes that the number of unreported cases is higher. (aeg/sda/dpa)