Nicosia (Cyprus), Mar 17 (AP) State-run television in Cyprus reported Monday that seven bodies have been recovered and two people had been rescued after a boat carrying migrants sank off the south coast of the island.

Officials from the Joint Rescue Coordination Center confirmed that a rescue effort was ongoing, involving a military helicopter and rescue vessels and a drone, but could not officially comment on casualties, citing the early stage of the operation.

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The agency confirmed that it was still searching for people believed to be missing.

The European Union border protection agency Frontex says irregular border crossings into the EU rose in the eastern Mediterranean last year despite a broader decline in the bloc. (AP)

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(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)