Boat carrying 56 migrants reaches Kapetaniana coast in Gortyna

Port authorities carried out an operation on Thursday night in the sea area off Agios Ioannis at Kapetaniana, in the Municipality of Gortyna, after a boat carrying 56 irregular migrants was located there.

Among those on board were a woman and two babies, according to the report. The migrants disembarked at Agios Ioannis beach and will be temporarily housed at the “Psygeio” facility at the port of Heraklion.

Once the standard procedures are completed, the migrants are expected to be transferred to mainland Greece, the report said.

The arrival follows a series of similar incidents reported off Crete’s southern coast in recent weeks, including a rescue of 80 people south of Agia Galini and a boat that partially sank south of Gavdos, in which one person died and 51 were rescued.