Boat capsizes off Greece: Hundreds missing

A rescue operation was underway Friday to reach hundreds of migrants who are missing after their boat capsized off a Greek island, the International Organization for Migration said.

 

The group said an estimated 700 migrants were believed to be onboard the boat when it capsized 75 nautical miles south of Crete, reports CNN.

 

Four bodies have been recovered and 342 people rescued, with more than 300 people unaccounted for, the agency said.

 

The Greek coast guard told media that the number of migrants on board was likely less than the estimate from the immigration organization. It also said the boat went down in Egyptian waters, while the immigration group said it was in international waters.

 

A coast guard spokeswoman said five ships in the area came to the migrants' aid, and that the Greek coast guard has deployed two ships and two helicopters for the operation.

 

The spokeswoman said the weather was clear.

 

More than 2,500 migrants have drowned in the Mediterranean Sea this year while attempting to cross into Europe, the U.N. refugee agency said this week, with many from war-torn Syria.