Greek authorities find 12 bodies in a boat carrying migrants south of Crete; 18 people are rescued

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Greek authorities recovered 12 bodies from a boat carrying migrants found sailing south of Greece’s island of Crete early Monday, while a passing Moroccan-flagged cargo ship rescued 18 people from the same vessel, the coast guard said.

Separately, the coast guard said that more than 180 people were found on three other boats heading across the Mediterranean Sea from North Africa to Crete on Monday morning, the latest in what has been a steady flow of boats from Libya to Greece. The crossing has become one of the main migrant routes to Europe.

No further information was immediately available on the identities of the 12 people who died or the circumstances of their deaths. Greece’s coast guard said the boat they were traveling in was found about 15 nautical miles — about 28 kilometers or ...