14 migrants dead after dinghy sinks in the Aegean off Turkey’s coast
ANKARA, Türkiye (AP) — A rubber boat carrying 18 migrants sank in the Aegean Sea off Türkiye’s southwestern coast on Friday, killing at least 14 people, Turkish officials said.
While 2 people, one of whom is an Afghan national, survived, search and rescue efforts continue for the 2 missing people.
In the statement made by the regional governorship, it was stated that the boat started to take in water shortly after setting off from Bodrum, a tourist destination in Muğla.
According to the statement, one of the survivors swam for six hours to reach shore, while the other was found on a nearby island. Four coast guard boats, a diving team and a helicopter were deployed to locate the missing migrants.
It was not immediately clear whether the migrants were trying to reach the Greek island of Kos, near Bodrum.
Greece is a major entry point to the European Union for people fleeing conflict and poverty in the Middle East, Africa and Asia. Many try the short but dangerous one Journey from the shores of Türkiye by inflatable boats or small boats to nearby Greek islands, often in poor conditions. Fatal accidents are a common occurrence.
Earlier this week, authorities arrested 169 people, mostly foreign nationals, suspected of smuggling migrants in a nationwide operation, the Ministry of Internal Affairs said.
