Greece rescues migrants missing after Lesbos shipwreck

ATHENS (Reuters) – Greece has rescued seven more migrants who were missing following Tuesday’s shipwreck off the island of Lesbos in which three people drowned, bringing the number of survivors to 39, the coast guard said on Wednesday.

Survivors had told authorities that about 41 people were on board the rubber dinghy that had sailed from Turkey. State broadcaster ERT said the migrants were from Syria, Yemen and Somalia, citing survivors’ accounts.

Greece has long been one of the main entry points into the European Union for refugees and migrants from the Middle East, Africa and Asia. Thousands of people have died during the short but dangerous journey from Turkey on unseaworthy boats.

Tuesday’s shipwreck, amid cold weather and strong winds, was the second this week.

(Reporting by Karolina Tagaris; Editing by Christina Fincher)