Athens, 26 November 2023 (dpa/MIA) - Thirteen sailors are missing after a cargo ship sank around 4.5 nautical miles south-west of Lesbos, Greek radio (ERT) reported on Sunday, citing the coast guard.

A rescue helicopter crew managed to save one of the people in distress following the shipwreck.

The Raptor freighter sent out a distress signal late on Saturday night then sank for reasons that remain unclear.

It was reportedly carrying salt.

The Comoros-flagged ship was bound from Egypt to Istanbul, according to maritime website Marinetraffic.com. Its crew came from Syria, India and Egypt.

A Greek Navy frigate and three coast guard boats took part in the large-scale rescue operation. Greek media reported.

A severe storm has been raging throughout south-eastern Europe since Saturday.

The Greek Meteorological Office (EMY) said winds are gusting up to force 11 in places.

Almost all ferry connections between the Greek islands and the mainland have been cancelled.

The strong winds are expected to drop near where the shipping accident occurred on Sunday.