Twenty-two migrants have died off the coast of Greece after reportedly spending six days at sea in a rubber boat.
Twenty-six others were rescued by a Frontex European border agency vessel off the island of Crete, AFP reported, citing the Greek coast guard.
Survivors said the bodies of those who had died were thrown into the sea.
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Two survivors were taken to hospital in Heraklion on Crete, the coastguard said.
Based on survivor statements, the coastguard added the boat had left Tobruk, a port city in eastern Libya, on March 21, bound for Greece, the gateway for many migrants chasing asylum in the European Union.
“During the journey, the passengers lost their bearings and remained at sea for six days without food or water,” the coastguard stated.
The bodies of those who died “were thrown into the sea on the orders of one of the smugglers”, it added.
Greek authorities arrested two South Sudanese men, aged 19 and 22, believed to be the smugglers.
Greece is one of the main entry points into the European Union for people fleeing conflict and poverty in the Middle East, Africa and Asia, with many making the short but often treacherous journey from the Turkish coast to nearby Greek islands in inflatable dinghies.
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