Refugees and migrants on a dinghy arrive from the Turkish coast to the northeastern Greek island of Lesbos, on Friday, Jan. 29, 2016. At least 33 died when a boat capsized in the area on Jan. 30.(Photo: Mstyslav Chernov, AP)
At least<span style="color: Red;">*</span>35 people — including at least five children —<span style="color: Red;">*</span>drowned early Saturday off the western coast of Turkey when<span style="color: Red;">*</span>a boat packed with migrants capsized, according to media reports.
"I am afraid the numbers will rise as divers continue the search,"<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Mehmet Ünal ?ahin, the mayor of Ayvacik, said,<span style="color: Red;">*</span>according to<span style="color: Red;">*</span>CNN-Turk TV.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>"Local people woke up to the sound of screaming migrants."
Turkish news agency Anadolu<span style="color: Red;">*</span>reported that 39 died.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Saim Eskioglu, deputy governor for the coastal Canakkale province that includes Ayvacik, said he suspects that number is correct, but 35 bodies had been recovered so far, and more remained trapped inside<span style="color: Red;">*</span>the sunken vessel, according to the Associated Press.
About<span style="color: Red;">*</span>75 people were rescued, the<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Turkish Coast Guard said.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>The boat was heading toward the<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Greek island of Lesbos when it capsized in the Aegean Sea.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>The victims were from<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Afghanistan, Myanmar and Syria, Anadolu reported.
USA TODAY
EU migrant deaths surge in first month of year
On Friday, the Geneva-based<span style="color: Red;">*</span>International Organization for Migration<span style="color: Red;">*</span>said 244 people died attempting<span style="color: Red;">*</span>to reach Europe by boat in the first 28 days of 2016, most of them en route from the<span style="color: Red;">*</span>western Turkish coast<span style="color: Red;">*</span>to<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Greece. That was three times the 82 people who died making the treacherous voyage during the same<span style="color: Red;">*</span>period in 2015.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>In January 2014, 12 people perished at sea.
The organization<span style="color: Red;">*</span>estimates<span style="color: Red;">*</span>55,528 migrants made crossings to<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Europe so far this year<span style="color: Red;">*</span>— <span style="color: Red;">*</span>nearly 2,000 per day. The most popular access point is<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Greece's<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Aegean Sea, followed by<span style="color: Red;">*</span>a central Mediterranean route from<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Libya<span style="color: Red;">*</span>to Italy. Many are fleeing war in<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Syria and other countries, while others are seeking better economic opportunities.
Turkey is hosting an estimated 2.5 million refugees from Syria.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>In November, Turkey agreed to fight smuggling networks and stem the flow of migrants into Europe. In return, the European Union has pledged $3.25 billion<span style="color: Red;">*</span>to help improve the migrants’ conditions.
In a separate incident,
Anadolu<span style="color: Red;">*</span>reported<span style="color: Red;">*</span>the Turkish Coast Guard was searching for 2 people after a boat of migrants sank off the country’s west coast.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Patrols were searching off Izmir province following reports a woman and her 3-month-old baby were missing after 16 survivors were rescued.
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