Athens, Jul 23 (AP) A a search and rescue operation continued Friday off the coast of the Greek island of Crete for several people believed missing a day after a sailboat carrying dozens of migrants sank in high winds.

Greece's coast guard said 37 people had been pulled to safety from the sea or the sinking boat by late Thursday. According to survivors, there had been about 45 people on board. The passengers' nationalities, the boat's original departure point and its intended destination were not immediately clear.

Three Greek boats were involved in Friday's search, the coast guard said.

Turkey's National Defense Ministry said two of its navy ships and one plane were dispatched to join the mission in difficult sea and air conditions. The ministry said eight people were thought to be missing.

A ministry statement issued Friday said the sailboat sank 161 miles from the Turkish coastal town of Kas and about 60 miles south of the Greek island of Karpathos.

Greece is one of the preferred smuggling routes into the European Union for people fleeing conflict and poverty in the Middle East, Asia and Africa. The vast majority attempt to cross to Greek islands from the nearby Turkish coast in inflatable dinghies.

A 2016 migration deal between Turkey and the EU helped stem the flow of asylum-seekers, but many still try to make the dangerous crossing.

Occasionally, some attempt longer crossings in larger boats, embarking from the coast of North Africa and hoping to reach Italy and bypassing Greece. (AP)

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