8 dead in migrant boat incident off Greece's Rhodes island

Eight people lost their lives and 18 were rescued after a boat carrying migrants capsized off the Greek island of Rhodes, Greek authorities said on Friday, reported Xinhua.

Eight of the rescued people were injured, including one in critical condition, according to the Hellenic Coast Guard.

The rescue operation is still underway, as the exact number of people on board when the incident happened remains unclear.

Initial information from the Hellenic Coast Guard showed that the migrants fell into the waters while the boat was performing maneuvers to evade patrol vessels.