Wind force six to seven prevails in the Aegean when a boat carrying migrants goes under. 36 people can still be rescued or make it to the shore of the Greek island of Leros under their own power. But for a woman and four children, any help comes too late.
A woman and four children died when a boat with migrants on board sank in the Aegean on Sunday. According to the authorities, 36 people were rescued from the water or reached the coast of the Greek island of Leros on their own.
Most people come from African countries. They stated that they had taken off from Turkey’s Aegean coast. Winds of force six to seven prevailed in the region at the time of the accident, it was said.
Again and again migrants try to get to Greece or even directly to southern Italy from the Turkish west coast and from countries in the Middle East. The boats are usually hopelessly overcrowded and in poor condition. Serious accidents happen again and again.
According to the UN refugee agency UNHCR, last year 326 people drowned or went missing trying to cross over to Europe from Turkey or other countries in the eastern Mediterranean. This means that the number of victims has almost tripled compared to 2021, according to UNHCR statistics. In 2021, 115 people died or are missing.