Boat with hundreds of migrants safely towed to port in Greece

The boat docked at the port of Palaiochora (InTime News/AP)

A dilapidated fishing boat crammed with hundreds of migrants that lost its steering and had been drifting in the wind-lashed Mediterranean south of the Greek island of Crete was successfully towed to port on Tuesday, Greek authorities said.

Greek migration minister Notis Mitarachi said there were about 400 people on the vessel, down from his earlier estimate of 500. He said it was not clear where it had sailed from.