Boat carrying migrants capsizes near Greek island, four people missing
A broad search and rescue operation was under way early Thursday near the eastern Greek island of Lesvos after a boat carrying migrants capsized while heading to the island from the nearby Turkish coast, Greece’s coast guard said.
Weather in the area was reported to be good, and it was unclear what caused the boat to overturn early Thursday morning.
The coast guard said 23 people had been rescued and four are believed to be missing, as three coast guard vessels, an air force helicopter and a nearby boat continued the search.
There was no immediate information on the survivors’ nationalities or the type of vessel they had been using.
Greece is one of the main entry points into the European Union for people fleeing conflict and poverty in the Middle East, Africa and Asia, with many making the short but often treacherous journey from the Turkish coast to nearby Greek islands in inflatable dinghies.
The Greek government has cracked down with increased patrols at sea, and many smuggling rings have shifted their operations south, using larger boats to transport people from the northern coast of Africa to southern Greece.
[AP/Kathimerini]
