Greek authorities launched a search and rescue operation Sunday after receiving a distress signal from a fishing boat believed to be carrying some 80 illegal immigrants, the coast guard said. According to the Merchant Marine Ministry, two Super Puma helicopters and a coast guard patrol boat were dispatched to the area, some 26 kilometers (16 miles) southwest of the island of Crete. The ministry did not provide any additional details. Tens of thousands of people from Asia, Eastern Europe and the Mideast attempt to reach Greece each year, many crossing to Aegean Sea islands from nearby Turkey.
