6 bodies recovered off Greek Island of Lesbos, 1 woman saved
ATHENS, Greece (AP) -- The bodies of six people believed to be migrants were recovered Monday from the sea off the eastern Aegean island of Lesbos, while authorities rescued one person, a pregnant woman.
The alarm was initially raised by a Greek navy vessel which spotted the bodies, the coast guard said. A vessel from the European border patrol agency Frontex picked up five bodies, while a Greek coast guard patrol boat picked up one more.
The six dead were one man, four women and a boy, authorities said. The coast guard rescued a pregnant woman and transported her to Lesbos.
It was not immediately clear how many others might be missing. A search-and-rescue operation was launched, involving the Greek coast guard and navy, Frontex and a private vessel.
Hundreds of thousands of migrants have crossed into Greece from the nearby Turkish coast, hoping to head to the more prosperous central and northern European countries. But a European Union-Turkey deal reached last year - in which those arriving on Greek islands face deportation back to Turkey - has significantly reduced the number of people attempting to cross.
Most undertake the short but dangerous journey on overloaded inflatable dinghies or occasionally sailboats. It was unclear what type of vessel was used Monday.
In the northern Greek city of Thessaloniki, some 1,000 refugees attended a soccer day Sunday in which they watched a live broadcast on giant screens of a match between Barcelona and Real Madrid. Greece is still hosting thousands of refugees and migrants who arrived before the EU-Turkey deal.
The alarm was initially raised by a Greek navy vessel which spotted the bodies, the coast guard said. A vessel from the European border patrol agency Frontex picked up five bodies, while a Greek coast guard patrol boat picked up one more.
The six dead were one man, four women and a boy, authorities said. The coast guard rescued a pregnant woman and transported her to Lesbos.
It was not immediately clear how many others might be missing. A search-and-rescue operation was launched, involving the Greek coast guard and navy, Frontex and a private vessel.
Hundreds of thousands of migrants have crossed into Greece from the nearby Turkish coast, hoping to head to the more prosperous central and northern European countries. But a European Union-Turkey deal reached last year - in which those arriving on Greek islands face deportation back to Turkey - has significantly reduced the number of people attempting to cross.
Most undertake the short but dangerous journey on overloaded inflatable dinghies or occasionally sailboats. It was unclear what type of vessel was used Monday.
In the northern Greek city of Thessaloniki, some 1,000 refugees attended a soccer day Sunday in which they watched a live broadcast on giant screens of a match between Barcelona and Real Madrid. Greece is still hosting thousands of refugees and migrants who arrived before the EU-Turkey deal.