Thirteen Migrants Perish in Shipwreck Off Crete; 18 Rescued from Cold Waters

A tragic shipwreck off the coast of the Greek island of Crete has resulted in the deaths of at least thirteen migrants.

The Hellenic Coast Guard confirmed that eighteen survivors, all Sudanese nationals, were rescued from the vessel. Four of the survivors, including a young child, were transported to local hospitals for urgent medical treatment.

While the exact cause of the tragedy remains under investigation, authorities believe the vessel had been at sea for several days and encountered severe difficulties navigating toward the shore due to powerful winds and rough sea conditions.

Crete continues to serve as a primary entry point for migrants seeking to reach Europe from the Middle East and North Africa. To date, over 22,000 of the 86,400 sea arrivals in the region this year have landed on the island of Crete.

According to an anonymous coastguard official speaking with Reuters, the rescued survivors were in a state of severe distress, describing them as “shivering from the cold” after their ordeal at sea.

The ill-fated vessel was initially spotted by a Moroccan-flagged container ship approximately fifteen nautical miles (twenty-eight kilometers) off the coast of Crete, prompting immediate rescue operations.

In separate operations on Monday, the Greek Coast Guard successfully rescued an additional 187 individuals in three distinct incidents off the Greek maritime borders.

Official United Nations data reveals that more than 37,000 migrants have arrived in Greece this year, already exceeding the total number of arrivals recorded throughout the entirety of 2025.

In response to the ongoing influx, the Greek government has unveiled plans to manage the situation, which include establishing a temporary housing facility near Heraklion, the capital of Crete.

Greece previously served as the epicenter of the European migration crisis during the 2015–2016 period, when nearly a million individuals arrived on its islands, primarily from Turkey.

Although arrivals decreased in subsequent years due to tightened border controls, maritime crossings from Libya have surged recently. This increase is driven largely by individuals fleeing conflict in Sudan, as well as those seeking economic opportunities from nations such as Bangladesh.

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