Greece: Rescue Operation for Hundreds on Drifting Boat 

Migrants are escorted upon their arrival on an inflatable boat at Lesbos island where local residents will later prevent them from disembarking. (File/AFP)
Migrants are escorted upon their arrival on an inflatable boat at Lesbos island where local residents will later prevent them from disembarking. (File/AFP)
TT
20

Greece: Rescue Operation for Hundreds on Drifting Boat 

Migrants are escorted upon their arrival on an inflatable boat at Lesbos island where local residents will later prevent them from disembarking. (File/AFP)
Migrants are escorted upon their arrival on an inflatable boat at Lesbos island where local residents will later prevent them from disembarking. (File/AFP)

Greek authorities say a major rescue operation is underway off the coast of the southern island of Crete after a boat believed to be carrying hundreds of migrants lost steering and was drifting in rough seas. 

The coast guard said Tuesday that passengers on the boat had made a distress call to an emergency number during the night to alert authorities.  

According to the passengers, there were around 400-500 people on board the vessel, the coast guard said, but added that the figure could not immediately be confirmed. 

A Greek navy frigate, two Italian fishing vessels, a tanker and two cargo ships were participating in the rescue operation, but the strong winds and rough seas meant it had not been possible to transfer any of the passengers from the stricken vessel by the morning, the coast guard said. 

It was not immediately known where the boat carrying the migrants had set sail from, what its intended destination was or what the nationalities of those on board were. 

Tens of thousands of people fleeing conflict and poverty in the Middle East, Asia and Africa try to make their way into the European Union each year via perilous sea journeys, with most attempting to reach Greece from neighboring Türkiye or taking a longer route to Italy. 



Monsoon Floods Sweep Away 18 People and Main Bridge Linking Nepal to China

Monsoon Floods Sweep Away 18 People and Main Bridge Linking Nepal to China
TT
20

Monsoon Floods Sweep Away 18 People and Main Bridge Linking Nepal to China

Monsoon Floods Sweep Away 18 People and Main Bridge Linking Nepal to China

A mountain river flooded by monsoon rains swept away the main bridge connecting Nepal with China on Tuesday, leaving 18 people missing, Nepali authorities said.

Rescue efforts were underway and an army helicopter was able to lift people stranded by the flooding. Police said 95 rescuers were already at the area and more are expected to join in rescue efforts, The Associated Press reported.

The flooding on the Bhotekoshi River destroyed the Friendship Bridge at Rasuwagadi, which is 120 kilometers (75 miles) north of the capital, Kathmandu.

Several houses and trucks that were parked at the border for customs inspections also were swept away. Hundreds of electric vehicles imported from China had been parked at the border point.

The 18 missing are 12 Nepali citizens and six Chinese nationals, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority.

The Chinese along with eight Nepalis were workers at a Chinese-assisted construction project on the Nepali side of the border, according to the Chinese Embassy in Nepal, quoted by state media.

The destruction of the bridge has halted all trade from China to Nepal through this route. The longer alternative is for goods to be shipped from China to India and then brought overland to Nepal.

Monsoon rains that begin in June and end in September often cause severe flooding in Nepal, disrupting infrastructure and endangering lives.