Rescued migrants find shelter at an old school building on the island of Kythira,
Residents of a Greek island pulled shipwrecked migrants to safety up steep cliffs in dramatic rescues after two boats sank in Greek waters, leaving at least 21 people dead and many still missing.
The coast guard in the eastern island of Lesbos said 16 bodies of young African women and one young man were recovered there after a dinghy carrying about 40 people sank.
Ten women were rescued, while 13 other migrants were believed to be missing, coast guard officials said.
“The women who were rescued were in a full state of panic so we are still trying to work out what happened,” coast guard spokesman Nikos Kokkalas told state television. “The women were all from African countries, aged 20 upward. There is a search on land as well as at sea and we hope that survivors made it to land,” he added.
The second rescue effort was launched several hundred kilometres to the west, off the island of Kythira, where a sailboat struck rocks and sank.
“The bodies of at least four migrants were seen next to floating debris from the sailboat. The deaths would be officially recorded when the bodies were recovered,” officials said.
They added that 80 people, from Iran, Iraq and Afghanistan, had been rescued while a search continues for as many as 11 still believed to be missing.
With winds in the area reaching 70 kph (45 mph), Fire Service rescuers and local volunteers on Kythira lowered ropes to help migrants climb up cliffs on the seafront.
Survivors clinging to ropes were pulled to safety up steep cliffs as others were buffeted by waves as they waited their turn on tiny areas of rock at the bottom.
“All the residents here went down to the harbour to try and help. We could see the boat smashing against the rocks and people climbing up those rocks to try and save themselves. It was an unbelievable sight,” Martha Stathaki, a local resident told The Associated Press.