7 migrants drowned in the Aegean Sea off the west coast of Turkey. The migrants fell overboard as authorities tried to intercept their boat, AFP reported.
They were part of a group of about 40 people who had set sail in an inflatable boat on 16 January from the area of the Turkish seaside resort of Kusadasi, about 100 km south of Izmir.
Kusadasi is located opposite the Greek island of Samos, which is about 15 kilometres away by water.
But when the coastguard tried to intercept their boat, 7 of the passengers fell into the water, and 3 bodies were discovered soon after.
Four more were found on January 17, the Turkish coast guard said.
Another 18 adults and 13 minors were rescued unharmed.
Shipwrecks are very common on the short but dangerous route between the Turkish coast and the nearby Greek islands of Samos, Rhodes and Lesbos, which are entry points to the EU.
According to the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), 2 333 migrants disappeared or died in the Mediterranean last year. | BGNES
