Greece rescues cargo ship with 400 migrants in distress off island of Crete

A cargo ship carries migrants during a rescue operation, as it sails off the island of Crete, Greece, October 29, 2021. Hellenic Coast Guard/Handout via REUTERS

ATHENS (Reuters) - Greece mounted a rescue operation on Friday for a cargo ship carrying about 400 migrants after it sent out a distress signal off the island of Crete, the coast guard said.

The Greek coast guard quoted passengers as saying the Turkish-flagged vessel had sailed from Turkey, calling it "one of the largest search and rescue operations carried out in the eastern Mediterranean."