At least 17 migrants drown after boat sinks off western Turkey

The Aegean Sea is a key route for migrants crossing from Turkey toward Europe

At least 17 people drowned when a rubber boat carrying migrants sank off Turkey’s western province of Mugla on Friday, the local governor’s office said, adding that a search and rescue operation was underway for possible survivors.

In a statement, the Mugla Governor’s Office said an Afghan man who survived the disaster and swam back to the mainland had raised the alarm shortly after 1:00 a.m.

The Afghan national told emergency services that 18 people had set out on the rubber boat, but that it had taken on water and sunk soon after departure, the governor’s office said.

Search and rescue teams found a second survivor who had managed to reach Celebi Island off Bodrum. They also retrieved 17 bodies from the sea.

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“Search and rescue efforts for other irregular migrants considered missing continue with four coast guard boats, one coast guard special diving team and one helicopter,” the governor’s office added.

The Aegean Sea is a frequent transit route for thousands of migrants attempting to cross from North Africa and the Middle East into Europe, particularly from Turkey, which hosts millions of refugees from Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan.

The number of irregular migrants caught in Turkey peaked in 2019 with nearly 455,000 people, mainly from Afghanistan and Syria, according to the Presidency of Migration Management. More than 122,000 migrants have been apprehended in Turkey as of October 16 this year.