The bodies of at least 17 migrants and refugees have been found on the shores of the Greek island of Crete.

Two survivors and 17 bodies were found 48 kilometers (29 miles) off Crete on Saturday. The boat capsized off the island. All the victims were men, a Greek coastguard spokeswoman told AFP. Two survivors were taken to hospital and are in critical condition, she said. The cause of the sinking was not yet known, she said. A Turkish cargo ship spotted the boat and alerted authorities, the Athens News Agency reported. The coastguard quoted two survivors as saying: "The boat was unstable due to bad weather. There was nothing anyone could do to save it." The passengers had no food or drink left. Manolis Frangoulis, mayor of the port of Ierapetra in Crete, said all the dead were young.  For more than a year, the island of Crete has been a popular route for migrants trying to reach Europe.  People from Libya and North Africa illegally enter Europe through this area of ​​the eastern Mediterranean.