Coast Guard rescue operation under way for 35 migrants off south Heraklion

Port authorities based in Kokkinos Pyrgos are carrying out a rescue operation for 35 migrants located south of the Heraklion regional unit, according to neakriti.gr.

Based on information available so far, the group includes five women. Their arrival at the port of Kokkinos Pyrgos is expected at around 8am. Port authorities remain on standby to complete the operation, and once the migrants reach the port, the standard registration and identification procedures will follow.

Second incident in hours

The operation comes just hours after the location and rescue of 30 migrants near Trachoulas, close to Lentas, in a case similar to the recent rescue of migrants south of Ierapetra. That group included four women, and those rescued were transported to the port around midnight to undergo the required procedures.

The back-to-back incidents follow a broader pattern of migrant boat arrivals off Crete’s southern coast in recent weeks, including a case in which the Coast Guard rescued 52 people from a boat south of Crete near Kaloi Limenes.