At least 22 people have died in two separate migrant boat incidents off the Greek island of Crete over the past three days, Greek authorities said on Monday, in the latest deadly stretch on the Libya to Crete crossing.

The Greek coastguard said the deaths came as strong winds and rough seas battered the route, and as more than 180 other people were rescued from three further boats on Monday alone.

Thirteen bodies found on one boat

In the first incident, a Moroccan-flagged cargo ship spotted a migrant boat about 15 nautical miles (28 kilometres) south of Crete early on Monday, 9 November. The coastguard said 13 bodies, those of 12 men and one woman, were found on board, and 18 people were rescued. One of those rescued later died at a health centre on the island, taking the confirmed death toll from that boat to 14.

Authorities said it was not immediately clear what caused the deaths, and autopsies would determine the cause. The coastguard said the boat appeared to have been at sea for several days and had struggled to reach shore in the strong winds. The identities and nationalities of those on board were not immediately known.

Weekend boat leaves eight dead and two missing

In the second incident, a boat ran into trouble in bad weather overnight on Saturday, about six nautical miles south of Crete. The coastguard said 28 Sudanese nationals were rescued and eight bodies were recovered, while two people were reported missing.

Survivors told investigators they had left Libya on 3 or 4 November. Two Sudanese nationals, one aged 16, were arrested after survivors identified them as suspected people smugglers, authorities said.

More than 180 rescued from three more boats

On Monday morning, the European Union border agency Frontex spotted three more boats crossing from North Africa towards Crete, and more than 180 people were rescued from them, according to the coastguard. Greek authorities said about 1,700 migrants had reached the island in the first three days of November, underlining how busy the crossing has become.

Crete has become a major route for people trying to reach Europe from the Middle East and North Africa, with most boats setting out from Libya. Last week, a major operation was launched to find 59 people declared missing by a survivor after a boat capsized off Crete, and no bodies have been found. The latest deaths are expected to increase scrutiny of the Libya to Crete crossing, now the busiest section of the eastern Mediterranean route.