Key takeaways:
- CBS News reported 13 bodies recovered from the first Crete boat and one survivor who later died; Al Jazeera reported 12 bodies recovered and one survivor who later died.
- Eight people died in a separate boat incident off Crete, and about 28 survived.
- Senegalese emergency services reported 39 deaths after a boat bound for Spain capsized off Senegal.
At least 21 people died in two migrant boat incidents off the Greek island of Crete, while Senegalese emergency services reported 39 deaths after a separate boat capsized off the West African country.
Reports from Crete gave different death tolls for the first boat. CBS News reported that Greek authorities recovered 13 bodies from a vessel found south of the island early Monday. One of 18 people rescued from it later died at a health center, bringing the toll to 14. Al Jazeera reported that the Greek coastguard recovered 12 bodies from the boat and that one of 18 survivors later died in hospital, bringing its reported toll to 13.
A Morocco-flagged container ship spotted the boat, according to Al Jazeera. The cause of the deaths was not immediately clear. Greek authorities said the vessel may have spent days at sea, unable to reach shore because of strong winds, Al Jazeera reported. There was no immediate information about the identities or nationalities of those aboard.
Eight bodies were found in a separate incident off southern Crete. CBS News, citing AFP, reported that about 28 survivors, all Sudanese, were picked up by a nearby boat, transferred to a police vessel and taken to Crete. Al Jazeera reported that two people from that boat remained missing. Maritime police launched an emergency rescue late Saturday after the boat sent an alarm signal, with strong winds making conditions difficult, CBS News reported.
Authorities arrested two Sudanese citizens, including a 16-year-old, after survivors identified them as suspected people smugglers, CBS News reported.
Other boats were found south of Crete. Both outlets reported vessels carrying about 47 and 40 people. CBS News reported a third boat with around 100 aboard, putting the combined number on those three boats above 180. Frontex aircraft or drones spotted the boats, CBS News reported.
The crossing from Libya to Crete has become one of the main migrant routes into Europe. Frontex recorded about 31,800 crossings on the eastern Mediterranean route in the first three quarters of 2026, down 15% from the same period a year earlier. Irregular crossings into the EU overall were down by a third so far this year. CBS News reported that the Libya-to-Crete corridor was the busiest section of the eastern Mediterranean route.
Off Senegal, emergency services raised the death toll from a separate capsize to 39 on Monday after more bodies were found, CBS News reported. The boat had left Saint-Louis for the Spanish coast and overturned Sunday off Kébémer, north of Dakar. The Interior Ministry had initially reported at least 21 deaths. Only one passenger was rescued alive, and several others were believed missing; authorities did not say how many people had been aboard. President Bassirou Diomaye Faye offered condolences and vowed to crack down on networks behind the crossings.
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