Thirteen missing after cargo ship sinks off Greece

An Egyptian citizen was rescued, a coast guard spokeswoman told the Associated Press.

The Raptor freighter sent out a distress signal late on Saturday night then sank for reasons that remain unclear.  

It was reportedly carrying salt.  

The Comoros-flagged ship was bound from Egypt to Istanbul, according to maritime website Marinetraffic.com. 

Its crew came from Syria, India and Egypt.  

A Greek navy frigate and three coast guard boats took part in the large-scale rescue operation, Greek media reported. 

A severe storm has been raging throughout southeastern Europe since Saturday. 

Northwesterly winds in excess of 80km/h are blowing in the area, Greece's weather service said.

Almost all ferry connections between the Greek islands and the mainland have been cancelled. 

with AP