Athens, Sept. 14 (SANA)Around 25 people were missing after a boat carrying migrants sank south of theGreekisland of Gavdos, the Greek Coast Guard said on Monday.

The vessel was carrying 77 people when it partially sank, Greek newspaper eKathimerini reported, citing a Coast Guard statement.

Fifty-two foreign nationals were rescued by vessels operating nearby, including one person who was found unconscious, while around 25 others remained unaccounted for.

Four nearby vessels and two boats operated by the European Union’sFrontexborder agency took part in the rescue operation. Another Greek Coast Guard vessel, a Frontex vessel and a helicopter were also dispatched to the area.

Crete and the nearby island ofGavdoshave increasingly become arrival points for asylum seekers seeking to enter Greece over the past year.

Those arriving are transferred to reception facilities on several Aegean islands, where their asylum applications are processed before they are either allowed to move to the Greek mainland or face deportation.kA/ABD