ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — A rubber dinghy carrying 18 migrants sank in the Aegean Sea off Turkey’s southwestern coast on Friday, leaving at least 14 useless, Turkish officers said.
Two people survived, including an Afghan national, while search and rescue efforts were underway for two others still lacking.
An announcement from the regional governor’s workplace said the dinghy started taking in water shortly after departing from Bodrum, a coastal city widespread with vacationers in Mugla province.
One survivor swam for six hours to attain the shore, while another was discovered on a close by island, according to the assertion. Four coast guard boats, a diving group and a helicopter have been deployed to find the lacking migrants.
It was not immediately clear whether the migrants were trying to attain the Greek island of Kos, which lies close to Bodrum.
Greece is a main entry level into the European Union for people fleeing battle and poverty in the Middle East, Africa and Asia. Many attempt the short but perilous journey from Turkey’s coast to close by Greek islands in inflatable dinghies or small boats, usually in poor situations. Fatal accidents are a common incidence.
Earlier this week, authorities apprehended 169 people — most of them international nationals — suspected of trafficking migrants in a nationwide operation, the Interior Ministry said.
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