The Greek Coast Guard announced that 18 people were killed and two others rescued after a boat carrying migrants capsized off the coast of Ierapetra on the island of Crete.

The incident occurred 26 nautical miles south of the island of Chrissi, as the area was experiencing winds reaching force 4 on the Beaufort scale.

According to the Coast Guard, a Turkish-flagged cargo ship spotted the vessel nearly submerged, prompting the launch of a large-scale rescue operation.

The cause of the capsize remains unknown amid fears the death toll could rise.