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Seventeen migrants have been discovered dead aboard a stricken vessel off the coast of the Greek island of Crete, as officials opened an investigation into how the men lost their lives.
Greek coastguard officers confirmed that two other people were rescued alive but were in a critical state and taken to the hospital for emergency treatment.
Authorities said post-mortem examinations will be carried out to determine the exact cause of death.
According to state broadcaster ERT, the victims were found inside the boat, which had partially deflated and was taking on water when it was discovered.
Local officials said the condition of the vessel may have forced the occupants into a cramped area, worsening their ordeal.
The mayor of the port town of Ierapetra, Manolis Frangoulis, described those who died as young men, adding that the inflatable craft had lost air on both sides, trapping passengers in a reduced space.
Greek coroners are examining whether dehydration, rather than drowning, may have caused their deaths.
The vessel was located about 26 nautical miles south-west of Crete after a Turkish cargo ship raised the alarm.
Greek coastguard patrol boats were dispatched, joined by a helicopter and an aircraft as well as units from the EU border agency Frontex.
The two survivors told rescuers that the boat became unsafe due to harsh weather and that they had been without food, water or shelter for several days while at sea.
Crete has increasingly become a destination for migrant crossings over the past year as people attempt to reach European Union territory from Libya across the eastern Mediterranean.
More than 16,700 asylum seekers have arrived in the EU by this route since the beginning of the year, according to the United Nations refugee agency.
The tragedy comes against a backdrop of Greece’s tightening migration policy.
In July, the government of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis temporarily suspended asylum processing for new arrivals on Crete, particularly those arriving from North Africa.
The move was announced amid growing political pressure over border control and migration flows.
Libya remains a key departure point despite ongoing instability following the overthrow and killing of long-time leader Moamer Kadhafi during the NATO-backed uprising in 2011, leaving the country divided and unsafe for many.
