Athens: Authorities in southern Greece say one migrant has died and 47 others have been rescued after a sailboat crashed into rocks and partially sank in a remote coastal area of the Greek mainland.
The coast guard said the migrants? 15 men, 16 women and 16 minors were located Thursday near the southern tip of the Peloponnese region, some 250 kilometres south of Athens, after managing to reach a beach and call for help.
The migrants carried a man found to be unresponsive by rescuers and later confirmed dead, while four children and three women were hospitalised for observation. The nationality of the migrants was not immediately known.
Officials said coast guard divers had checked the hull of the sailboat and found no one trapped inside.
Migrants have typically embarked on riskier journeys in recent years to try and avoid heavily patrolled Greek islands near the coast of Turkey.
Boats heading to the Greek mainland or Italy are frequently abandoned by smugglers in the early stages of the crossing.
AP
