Greek coast guard searches for missing migrants after boat sinks; 1 dead

Dec. 22 (UPI) -- One person is dead and dozens are believed to be missing after a boat carrying a load of refugees capsized off the coast of Greece on Wednesday, authorities said.

The boat was carrying a number of migrants from Iraq, but the exact number of refugees on the vessel at the time of the accident was not immediately clear.

The Greek coast guard said one of the migrants drowned.

Some of the survivors put the total number on the boat at over 50.

The boat sank off the coast of the island of Folegandros, about 110 miles southeast of Athens.

Coast guard officials searched for the missing migrants with helicopters, a plane and a number of government and private vessels.

The Mediterranean Sea is a popular route for migrants from the Middle East seeking destinations in Europe. Asylum-seekers from Turkey also often use the route as a path for migration.