ATHENS -- Twenty two people have been reported dead after a migrant boat drifted for several days at sea off Greece's island of Crete, the Hellenic Coast Guard said on Saturday.

Twenty six survivors sending out a distress signal near the island were rescued on Thursday, according to a press release. The survivors said the 22 people who had died during the journey from Libya due to a lack of food and water.

The survivors reported that they had departed from Tobruk on March 21, each paying smugglers up to 8,660 euros (around $10,000). However, the boat lost its course and remained stranded at sea for several days.

Among those rescued, two men from South Sudan have been arrested on suspicion of human trafficking.