Major search continues after deadly migrant boat sinking off Cyprus coast

NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) — A large rescue cognition continued Tuesday disconnected the confederate seashore of Cyprus aft a migrant vessel sank successful planetary waters, with nary further survivors oregon bodies recovered since the archetypal recovery, authoritative said.

Authorities Monday said 7 bodies had been recovered and 2 radical rescued immoderate 45 kilometers (28 miles) southbound of Cyprus. Officials said the vessel was believed to beryllium carrying astatine slightest 20 Syrians.

The land republic's Joint Rescue Coordination Center confirmed an ongoing cognition involving subject helicopters, rescue vessels and drones, assisted by a chopper from a British basal connected Cyprus.

“As clip passes and nary different radical are found, anticipation people and dramatically diminishes,” Defense Minister Vasilis Palmas told a property briefing precocious Monday.

The rescue effort is taking spot amid rising irregular borderline crossings successful the eastbound Mediterranean, according to the European Union borderline extortion bureau Frontex, contempt a broader diminution crossed the bloc.

Cypriot officials said they proceed to show accrued maritime question from Lebanon and Syria amid ongoing determination instability.

Justice Minister Marios Hartsiotis said the archetypal subsister had been spotted during a regular patrol. After that, helium said, “the effect was immediate, which is wherefore we managed to prevention the 2nd idiosyncratic precise quickly.”

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