ATHENS — The Greek coast guard recovered the bodies of two women and rescued 39 other migrants on Monday from the small island of Farmakonisi in the Aegean Sea, authorities said, as an investigation into the incident continues.
Officials said the circumstances surrounding the deaths remain unclear. Authorities were alerted earlier in the day that a group of migrants had arrived on the island, which lies just six miles (9.7 kilometers) off the Turkish coast. The coast guard said it is continuing to search for possible survivors, amid fears of a shipwreck.
The rescued migrants have been transferred to the nearby island of Leros for further assistance and processing.
Greece has long been a key entry point into the European Union for migrants and refugees fleeing conflict and hardship in the Middle East, Africa and Asia. Since 2015, the Greek coast guard has rescued more than 250,000 people attempting the dangerous sea crossing, often in overcrowded or unseaworthy vessels.
Farmakonisi, like many other Greek islands near the Turkish coast, has seen repeated arrivals of migrants over the years. Thousands have died at sea, according to the U.N. refugee agency.
Earlier this month, at least seven people — including a boy, a girl and two women — drowned when their boat capsized off the island of Lesbos.
