ATHENS, Greece: Rescue crews on Monday recovered eight bodies believed to be migrants from the sea off the eastern Aegean island of Lesbos and rescued two people, including a pregnant woman, Greece's coast guard said.
A Greek navy vessel spotted the bodies and a ship with the European border patrol agency Frontex picked up the first five bodies. The dead included three men, four women and a boy, while two women were transported to Lesbos.
It was not immediately clear how many others might be missing. A search-and-rescue operation was ongoing in the area.
Hundreds of thousands of migrants have crossed into Greece from the nearby Turkish coast, hoping to head to the more prosperous central and northern European countries. But a European Union-Turkey deal reached last year — in which those arriving on Greek islands face deportation back to Turkey — has significantly reduced the number of people attempting to cross.
Most undertake the short but dangerous journey on overloaded inflatable dinghies or occasionally sailboats. It was unclear what type of smuggling vessel was used Monday, or how it ran into trouble.
