Migrant shipwreck off Cyprus' coast leaves 7 dead and 2 survivors, according to state TV

NICOSIA, Cyprus — State-run television in Cyprus reported Monday that seven bodies have been recovered and two people had been rescued after a boat carrying migrants sank off the south coast of the island.

Officials from the Joint Rescue Coordination Center confirmed that a rescue effort was ongoing, involving a military helicopter and rescue vessels and a drone, but could not officially comment on casualties, citing the early stage of the operation.

The agency confirmed that it was still searching for people believed to be missing.

The European Union border protection agency Frontex says irregular border crossings into the EU rose in the eastern Mediterranean last year despite a broader decline in the bloc.

———

Follow the AP's coverage of migration here.