More than a dozen migrants die as boats sink

ATHENS (AP):

Two boats carrying migrants sank in the early hours of Thursday in the narrow stretch of sea between Turkey and a nearby Greek island, leaving at least 16 people dead, one missing and more than 40 survivors, Greek and Turkish officials said. At least three children were among the dead.

The two accidents reportedly occurred several hours apart in the narrow stretch of the Aegean Sea between the Greek island of Lesbos and the Turkish coast, with authorities on either side unaware of the other nation’s rescue efforts.

On the Greek side, the country’s coast guard said that in the early hours of Thursday, one of its patrol boats came across a small dinghy of about five metres in length that was taking on water, with many of its passengers having already fallen into the sea. Twenty-three people – 11 minors, eight men and four women – were rescued, while survivors told authorities that 31 people had originally been in the dinghy.

A sea and land search and rescue operation was launched, including helicopters, vessels from the coast guard and the FRONTEX European border agency, as well as vehicles and a diver. Authorities later recovered the bodies of seven people – three women, two boys, one girl and one man.

The coast guard said the search and rescue operation was continuing into Thursday evening for a young girl who survivors had reported as missing.

One of the survivors, identified only as a 20-year-old man, was arrested on suspicion of being a migrant smuggler after other passengers allegedly identified him as having piloted the dinghy, the coast guard said.

Weather in the area was reported to have been good. The nationalities of those on board were not immediately known.

Separately in Turkey, the Canakkale governor’s office said the Turkish coast guard received an emergency call for help from a migrant boat early Thursday morning and deployed three boats and a helicopter.

The statement said that nine bodies had been recovered and the search for one missing person continued, while 25 people were rescued. Turkish media said the survivors were taken to a hospital in Turkey.

Greece is one of the main entry points into the European Union for people fleeing conflict and poverty in the Middle East, Africa and Asia, with many making the short but often treacherous journey from the Turkish coast to nearby Greek islands in inflatable dinghies or other small boats. Many are unseaworthy, or set out in bad weather, and fatal accidents have been common.