37 Migrants Die as Boat Sinks Off Turkey
- 8 years ago
At least 37 migrants, including several children, died Saturday when the boat meant to take them to the Greek island of Lesbos sank off Turkey's western coast.
The death toll rose late Saturday after search crews found more bodies trapped inside the 17-meter craft.
Rescuers were able to pick up 75 survivors.
The Turkish news agency Dogan said the migrants included people from Syria, Afghanistan and Myanmar.
Police arrested a Turkish man suspected of being the smuggler who organized Saturday's disastrous sea crossing.
He told Reuters news agency that he was on the boat but denied any wrongdoing.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said that deaths of refugees and migrants crossing the Aegean Sea between Turkey and Greece were "increasing at an alarming rate."
The death toll rose late Saturday after search crews found more bodies trapped inside the 17-meter craft.
Rescuers were able to pick up 75 survivors.
The Turkish news agency Dogan said the migrants included people from Syria, Afghanistan and Myanmar.
Police arrested a Turkish man suspected of being the smuggler who organized Saturday's disastrous sea crossing.
He told Reuters news agency that he was on the boat but denied any wrongdoing.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said that deaths of refugees and migrants crossing the Aegean Sea between Turkey and Greece were "increasing at an alarming rate."