At least 59 migrants have drowned and more than 100 have been rescued after their fishing vessel capsized off the coast of southern Greece.
The BBC reports that the shipwreck off Greece this year has claimed the most lives.
The number of passengers on board the ship is unknown; it sank about 50 miles (80 km) southwest of Pylos.
However, according to Greek authorities and the International Organization for Migration (IOM), hundreds of passengers may have been on board.
The IOM tweeted: “We fear more lives were lost. Initial reports suggest up to 400 people were on board.”
Greece’s coastguard said the boat was spotted in international waters late on Tuesday by an aircraft belonging to EU border agency Frontex.
The coastguard said that the passengers ‘refused any help’ and that none on board were wearing life jackets.
But just a few hours later, the boat capsized and sank, triggering a search and rescue operation, which was then complicated by strong winds.
The boat was reportedly en route to Italy from Libya, with most of those on board reportedly men in their 20s.
A migration ministry source told the AFP news agency that ‘hundreds’ of people were on board. “We fear there will be a very large number of missing persons,” the official said.
The nationalities of the victims have not yet been announced with survivors have been taken to the town of Kalamata for treatment.
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