by Maria Spiliopoulou

ATHENS, May 7 (Xinhua) -- A rescue operation was underway on Monday to locate a boat with 45 refugees and migrants on board which was missing off the south coasts of Crete island, Greek national news agency AMNA reported.

According to initial information from the Greek Coast Guard, one of the passengers made a telephone call to the European emergency number 112 to alert the authorities that the wooden boat was in a difficult situation.