42 refugees rescued off coast of Crete

42 refugees and migrants were rescued off the coast of the town of Ierapetra in Crete, Thursday at midnight. The refugees were stranded in a boat 35km to the north of Ierapetra, located on the northeast side of the island of Crete and the Greek coast managed to save them after an 8-hour operation and bring them to safety. According to sources, a woman and two teenagers are among the refugees, while the majority claim to be Pakistani, except one who says he is from Syria.

Authorities were unable to detect the human trafficker, while they examining the veracity of the refugees’ claims. The people were transferred to the town’s gymnasium where they will be registered.