Egypt says 3 nationals killed, 18 missing after migrant boat capsizes off Greece

ISTANBUL

Egypt confirmed Wednesday that three nationals were killed and 18 others are still missing after a migrant boat capsized off the Greek island of Crete.

A Foreign Ministry statement said 21 Egyptians were among 50 illegal migrants aboard the boat that left from a neighboring country on Feb. 21, without specifying its name.

According to the statement, Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty has instructed the Egyptian Embassy in Athens to intensify communication with Greek authorities to follow up on the incident, bolster search efforts for the missing, and expedite all necessary procedures for the repatriation of the dead migrants to Egypt.

It urged the Egyptian citizens to exercise "the utmost caution and vigilance, and not to be led by illegal migration gangs" to maintain their safety.

According to Greek authorities and the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the vessel overturned about 20 nautical miles off the port of Kali Limenes, the southernmost point of Crete, early on Saturday amid rough seas and strong winds.

Survivors told Greek authorities that the boat had departed from Tobruk in eastern Libya on Thursday.

The IOM estimates that at least 606 migrants were killed or went missing along Mediterranean routes in the first two months of 2026, marking the deadliest start to a year since 2014.