ATHENS: The bodies of two women were found Friday on a rocky coast on the Greek island of Chios after a makeshift boat carrying 29 migrants ran aground, the coast guard said.

“During a rescue operation for migrants (whose boat ran aground on the coast), two women were found lifeless, and 10 people, including three seriously injured, were transferred to the hospital in Chios,” a coast guard spokesman told AFP.

Greek Aegean islands near Turkiye, including Chios, are one of the main entry points into Europe for people fleeing war and poverty.

These perilous crossings are often fatal.

On October 7, four bodies were recovered off the island of Lesbos after an inflatable boat sank with 38 migrants on board.