A group of 29 migrants have been rescued off an island south of Crete becoming an increasing landing ground for a new migration route from North Africa to Europe, according to authorities.
A Coast Guard statement said the boat was located about 23.5 nautical miles south of the tiny island of Gavdos after passengers packed on the rickety boat made a distress call, sending a passing merchant ship to their aid.
The migrants were ferried to southern Crete. Their identities and nationalities were not revealed.
It was the second migrant interception in as many days.
Southern Crete and Gavdos have seen a marked rise in migrant arrivals this year. Most leave from the eastern Libyan port of Tobruk, paying traffickers of up to $5,000 each to be smuggled to Europe.
United Nations data show more than 1,200 people have reached the area this year, out of a total of about 9,600 who arrived in Greece by sea.
On Sunday, another 74 people were rescued off a boat south of Gavdos. Two of the people on the vessel were later arrested on suspicion of belonging to a migrant-smuggling gang.