Dhaka, March 28 -- At least 21 Bangladeshi nationals have narrowly escaped death after being rescued from a deflated rubber boat in the Mediterranean, a journey that saw 22 of their fellow passengers perish during a six-day drift without sustenance.

The survivors were intercepted by a European border agency approximately 53 nautical miles south of the Greek island of Crete on Friday, according to reports from The Guardian and the BBC.

The group had embarked from the Libyan port of Tobruk on Mar 21, hoping to reach Europe.

The vessel, however, lost its course shortly after departure, leaving the migrants stranded in open waters.

Authorities said for six consecutive days, the passengers, comprising Bangladeshis and several African natio...