One dead, three missing after migrant boat sinks off Samos

One dead, three missing after migrant boat sinks off Samos
Greek coast guard conducts SAR operation off Lesbos after migrant shipwreck, Oct 27, 2025
Reuters

One person has died and three remain missing after a migrant boat sank off the Greek island of Samos on Monday, authorities said.

Twenty-six migrants reached shore in the Petalides area and alerted authorities that others were still at sea. The coast guard, along with a helicopter, a private boat, and ground teams, launched search and rescue operations. The body of a woman was recovered, while searches continue for the three missing migrants.

The nationalities of those involved have not been disclosed. Greece has remained a major entry point for migrants into the European Union, with over 1 million arrivals recorded since 2015. Despite a 30% drop in irregular migration through the eastern Mediterranean in the first 11 months of 2025, Frontex reported a sharp rise in activity along the Libya-Crete corridor, up 272% compared with last year.

The Samos incident follows recent migrant tragedies in Greek waters, including the recovery of 17 bodies off Crete on 6 December and the death of a 12-year-old boy struck by a boat propeller on 8 December. Another boat crashed into rocks off Samos a week later, leaving three migrants missing and 28 rescued.

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