Athens, Dec 14 (IANS): A man lost his life after a migrant boat sank off the coast of Crete in southern Greece Friday night, Greek authorities reported on Saturday.

According to a press release from the Hellenic Coast Guard, 33 people were rescued, while a rescue operation remained underway as the exact number of individuals on board at the time of the incident was still unknown.

The nationalities of the migrants and the boat's route had yet to be determined.

In three separate incidents between Friday evening and Saturday morning, a total of 163 people were rescued in waters off Crete and the Peloponnese peninsula, also in southern Greece, the Hellenic Coast Guard said.

Since 2015, Greece has been a key entry point for irregular migrants and refugees entering the European Union, with over one million arrivals recorded during this period. Tragically, hundreds have lost their lives at sea attempting these perilous journeys.

In October too, several people had died and also rescued after boats carrying migrants sank off the Greek island of Crete and off the island of Kos.

According to the Hellenic Coast Guard, over the past nine years, more than one million people have reached Greece's shores, while hundreds have perished at sea.

The data from the European Border and Coast Guard Agency Frontex showed that the influx to the Eastern Mediterranean front continued to rise this year, increasing by 15 per cent in the first nine months of 2024 compared to the same period last year.

Approximately 45,600 arrivals were recorded in Greek waters from January until October this year. In September this was the busiest route, with the highest number of 6,750 arrivals, compared to 5,600 in the Central Mediterranean.

The overwhelming majority of new arrivals in Greece in 2024 were Syrians, Afghans and Egyptians.