Getty ImagesAt least eight people drowned after a speedboat carrying migrants tried to evade a coast guard patrol in the Aegean Sea, the Greek Coast Guard said.
The coast guard said the speedboat capsized after the boat driver “lost control” while trying to evade a Greek patrol ship.
Greek media reports stated that the boat was traveling at high speed and collided with the side of a Greek Coast Guard ship while trying to escape.
The Coast Guard said that so far 18 people have been rescued from the sea, and many survivors are suffering from injuries after the accident.
The incident occurred on Friday near the island of Rhodes, on the other side of the Turkish coast, on a route commonly used by migrant smugglers.
Helicopters and Coast Guard ships continue to search for more survivors.
Thousands of migrants trying to reach Europe die during the treacherous journey in the Mediterranean every year.
last month Eight people, including six children, were recovered after a migrant boat sank Off the Greek island of Samos.
So far this year, more than 50,000 migrants have arrived in Greece by boat, making it the second most widely used European migration route after Italy.
The number of migrant arrivals had been declining steadily since August 2023, but has risen again since the summer. According to the data From the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.
Agency figures show that about 180,000 migrants arrived in Europe by sea this year, while 2,000 people died or went missing. About 23% of the arrivals were children.
