At least 16 people have died after two refugee boats sank in the Aegean Sea between Turkiye and the Greek island of Lesbos, officials from both countries confirmed on Thursday.
The incidents, involving approximately 66 passengers, occurred hours apart in separate locations. Authorities on either side of the maritime border were initially unaware of each other’s rescue operations.
The Greek coastguard reported that one of its patrol boats discovered a five-meter (5.5-yard) dinghy taking on water and rescued 23 people, including 11 minors, eight men, and four women. The boat was carrying a total of 31 passengers, survivors said.
A search and rescue operation involving helicopters, Greek coastguard vessels, and the FRONTEX European border agency recovered the bodies of seven victims—three women, two boys, a girl, and a man. Officials continued searching for a young girl reported missing by survivors.
One survivor, a 20-year-old man, was arrested on suspicion of human smuggling after other passengers allegedly identified him as the boat’s pilot, according to the Greek coastguard.
Meanwhile, in Turkiye’s northwestern province of Canakkale, authorities responded to a distress call from another vessel in the early hours of Thursday. The Turkish coastguard deployed three boats and a helicopter, rescuing 25 people. Nine bodies were recovered, and one person remained missing. Turkish media reported that survivors were taken to a local hospital for medical treatment.
The short but treacherous maritime route between Turkiye and the Greek islands of Lesbos, Samos, and Rhodes continues to be a hotspot for shipwrecks, as refugees and migrants risk the dangerous crossing in search of safety and a better future in the European Union.
