Tragedy: 18 Dead Migrants in Shipwreck South of Crete

GCT newsroom
Published: December 6, 2025, 19:33

A deadly tragedy occurred off the coast of Crete following the sinking of an inflatable dinghy carrying 20 people.

A multi-fatality tragedy took place in a maritime area off Crete after an inflatable dinghy carrying 20 migrants sank.

The shipwreck occurred in the sea area 26 nautical miles southwest of the island of Chrysi (Crete), where port authorities recovered 18 bodies from a semi-submerged dinghy spotted by a Turkish-flagged cargo ship.

According to the Hellenic Coast Guard, two Coast Guard vessels, one Frontex vessel, three passing ships, a Super Puma helicopter, and a Frontex aircraft rushed to the scene to search for any possible missing persons.

During the operation, two migrants were rescued, and 18 bodies were recovered. The bodies will be transferred by Coast Guard vessels to Ierapetra.

The circumstances under which the dinghy capsized or sank remain unclear for now.

According to the Coast Guard, there are no other missing persons, and the search and rescue operation has now been completed, as no evidence emerged of additional passengers.