12 Migrants Die In Two Separate Boat Incidents Off Greek Islands

Aris Messinis, AFP/File picture

A dinghy transporting dozens of refugees and migrants is pulled towards Greece's Lesbos island after being rescued by a war ship during their sea crossing between Turkey and Greece on February 29, 2020.

At least 12 migrants have died in two separate boat incidents in the Aegean Sea near the Greek islands of Samos and Lesvos on Monday, 19 October, according to local reports.

Near Samos, six people died after a speedboat carrying migrants capsized about 3.7 nautical miles north of the island, Greek media reported.

Fourteen people were rescued, while search-and-rescue operations continued under the co-ordination of the Greek coastguard. Three of those rescued were taken to Samos General Hospital to receive first aid.

According to the Greek coastguard, the speedboat was initially spotted by a Turkish coastguard vessel in Turkish territorial waters before being detected by a Greek patrol boat in Greek waters. The boat overturned following a sudden manoeuvre, prompting an emergency rescue operation.

In a separate incident off Lesvos, six migrants, including an infant, died after a speedboat carrying people from Türkiye collided with a Greek coastguard vessel and overturned.

The incident occurred about 3.5 nautical miles south of Agrilia, on Lesvos. Eight people survived and were taken to hospital, according to reports.

Greek authorities arrested a 37-year-old Turkish national suspected of operating the boat and involvement in migrant smuggling. The circumstances surrounding the collision remain under investigation.

The two incidents bring the reported death toll to at least 12 people, highlighting the continuing dangers faced by migrants attempting to cross the Aegean Sea from Türkiye to Greece.

The route remains a key entry point into the European Union for people seeking safety and better economic opportunities. Migrants often make the crossing in small, overcrowded boats, exposing them to serious risks at sea. Rescue operations and investigations into the two incidents are being handled by the Greek authorities.


PUKMEDIA