Cyprus's national broadcaster reported that seven bodies were recovered from the sea off Cyprus after authorities launched a search-and-rescue operation in response to a capsize of a boat containing migrants.

The broadcaster reported that an unspecified number were believed to have gone missing. Two people were found alive in international waters, about 30 nautical mile (55.5 km), south-east of island.

According to other reports, the vessel believed to have left Tartous, Syria, around midday Monday with 20 or 21 passengers on board, was located by another report.

The search and rescue coordination center in Cyprus said that assets were present in the area, coordinating a recovery operation. It did not mention any casualties.

The Justice Minister Marios Hartziotis said at a press briefing that the discovery of today's first survivor (was) purely by accident.

Alarmphone, a group that advocates for the public, reported on March 16th that relatives had contacted them late Saturday night, providing coordinates of a boat in distress. The group said that the last known position matched up with the location of a shipwreck.

Alarmphone posted on March 16, 2016 that it had notified Cyprus authorities, who confirmed they were investigating.

It is located about 100 nautical mile west of Lebanon and Syria. It suspended the examination of asylum requests from Syrians in early last year, after a spike in people crossing by small boats. (Reporting by Michele Kambas, Editing by Angus MacSwan William Maclean and Toby Chopra

(source: Reuters)