17 dead as migrant boat sinks off Greek island

Athens: The death toll has risen to 17 after a boat carrying refugees and migrants sank off the coasts of Lesvos island in the Aegean Sea on Thursday, Greek national broadcaster ERT reported, citing authorities.

Most of the victims were young women of African origin, Hellenic Coast Guard spokesperson Nikos Kokkalas told ERT. A rescue operation was under way as an unidentified number of people were missing.

Approximately 40 people were on board when the incident happened, according to the survivors, he added.

Meanwhile, 80 people have been rescued off the island of Kythira in southern Greece after another boat crashed onto rocks and sank on Wednesday night, the Coast Guard said. Survivors said more than 90 people were on the boat. No information was given on their nationalities.

Both rescue operations were hampered by strong winds reaching Category 8 on the Beaufort wind force scale, authorities said.

"We express sorrow over the tragic incidents in our seas which resulted in deaths and placed many lives at risk," government spokesperson Giannis Oikonomou told a televised regular press briefing on Thursday.

More than a million people entered Greece since 2015, mainly via the Aegean, seeking refuge in Europe from warzones and extreme poverty. Hundreds perished in the sea, according to the Greek authorities.

In March 2016, the EU and Türkiye reached an agreement aimed to stem the influx, which produced results, but thousands of people each year landed on Greek islands, said the authorities.