Greek authorities recovered 12 bodies from a boat carrying migrants found sailing south of Greece's island of Crete early Monday, while a passing Moroccan-flagged cargo ship rescued 18 people from the same vessel, the coast guard said.

No further information was immediately available on the identities of the 12 people who died, or the circumstances of their deaths. Greece's coast guard said the boat they were travelling in was found about 15 nautical miles - about 28 km - south of the southern Mediterranean island of Crete on Monday morning.