Boat carrying migrants sinks near Greek island of Chios, 15 die

A tragedy occurred on the evening of February 3 near the Greek island of Chios in the Aegean Sea, when a boat carrying migrants collided with a Greek Coast Guard patrol vessel, resulting in the deaths of 15 people.

This incident is one of the deadliest shipwrecks in Greece in recent years, Caliber.Az reports via Western media.

The eight-meter boat, carrying at least 39 people, was heading toward Chios with its navigation lights off and ignored signals from the patrol vessel. After it suddenly changed course, a collision occurred, causing the boat to capsize and sink. All passengers, including women and children, fell into the sea several miles from the Turkish coast.

Of the 39 people on board, 25 were rescued, including seven women, seven men, and 11 minors. The migrants, mainly Afghans, were taken to a hospital. Among the rescued was also one Moroccan.

The incident highlights the ongoing migration crisis in the region. Greece, particularly during 2015–2016, was at the forefront of the migration flow, when more than a million people from the Middle East and Africa arrived on its shores before moving to other European countries. Although migration flows have decreased somewhat since then, there has recently been an increase in illegal migration attempts, particularly from Libya, and fatal incidents along this route remain frequent.

By Khagan Isayev