Dozens rescued off Cyprus coast

Dozens of migrants were rescued off the coast of Cyprus on Wednesday after their small fishing boat ran aground near the holiday resort of Paphos, the island's authorities said.

Police said 92 migrants including 18 women and 46 children were safely brought to shore after arriving by boat, most probably from Turkey.

A police official said the migrants were still being processed and it was not immediately clear from where they originated, although most who make the sea journey to Cyprus are usually Syrian refugees.

Search and rescue services were radioed by fishermen in the Paphos area, off the resort island's west coast, alerting them to a small boat carrying dozens of people that was in trouble due to rough seas.

The boat ran aground before the migrants were safely brought to shore, authorities said.

Local media reported that the migrants told police they had travelled from Turkey and paid smugglers up to $4,000 (3,700 euros) for the journey.

Arrangements were being made to take them to a reception centre outside the capital Nicosia.

EU member Cyprus lies just 100 kilometres (60 miles) off Syria but has so far avoided a mass influx of refugees from that country's conflict.

However, the Paphos area has been a frequent hotspot for traffickers from Turkey. In September and November, 83 and 128 Syrian migrants respectively were rescued there under similar circumstances.

And last month 93 people were rescued from a vessel off the island's western coast.