26 dead in Mediterranean en route from Libya to Italy, 21 Bangladeshis rescued alive
22 migrants have died in the Mediterranean en route from Libya to Italy. It is feared that most of them are Bangladeshis. Another 26 people have been rescued alive during this time. 21 of them are Bangladeshis. The Greek Coast Guard said that 22 migrants have died on the coast of Greece after being adrift on a boat for six days en route to Europe.
Last Friday (March 27), a ship of the European Border Agency rescued 26 people, including a woman and a child. Two of them have been admitted to the Heraklion hospital on the island of Crete. A coast guard spokesman was quoted by the news agency AFP as saying that the boat had set off from the eastern Libyan port of Tobruk on March 21 for Greece. The coast guard said that adverse weather conditions and a lack of food and water were the main causes of the deaths.
Along with Italy, Greece is also a major destination for irregular migrants crossing the Mediterranean. Most migrations occur in the summer, when bad weather is less likely. The Greek coast guard said the boat had lost its way and drifted for six days without food or water. It was eventually intercepted off the coast of Ierapetra, 53 nautical miles off the southern coast of Crete.
Greek authorities said two South Sudanese men, aged 19 and 22, had been arrested on suspicion of human trafficking. They were being investigated on charges of “illegal entry” and “negligent death”. Of the 26 survivors, 21 were Bangladeshis, four were South Sudanese and one was from Chad.
The UN refugee agency UNHCR said at least 41,696 people will reach Greece by sea by 2025, with more than 4,000 arriving this year. But the journey is dangerous, especially in bad weather. People smugglers often overload boats without enough food, water or life jackets. According to UNHCR, at least 103 people died or went missing in the Eastern Mediterranean in 2025. In December, the bodies of 17 migrants were recovered from a partially capsized and sinking boat off the coast of Crete.
