36 DIE AS REFUGEE CRAFT SINKS OFF TURKISH COAST

Turkey,  26 Rabiul Awwal 1437/6 January 2016 (MINA) – At least 36 people drowned off Turkey’s Aegean Sea coast when an inflatable boat carrying refugees sank early Tuesday, the Turkish Coast Guard said.

A search-and-rescue effort was launched after the boat capsized off the coast of western Turkey’s Balikesir province as it tried to reach the Greek island of Lesbos, Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA) quoted anadolu as reporting.

District Governor Namik Kemal Nazli told Anadolu Agency that 12 refugees had been rescued. He said the refugees were believed to be from Iraq, Syria and Algeria.

Turkey’s five Aegean provinces – Canakkale, Balikesir, Izmir, Mugla and Aydin – are prime spots for refugees leaving Turkey for the EU, with Greek islands lying within sight of the Turkish coast.

Over the past year, hundreds of thousands have made short but perilous journeys across the Aegean in a bid to reach northern and western Europe in search for a better life.

An estimated 805 died at sea in the Aegean in 2015, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM). More than 847,000 arrived in Greece by sea over the year.

Worsening weather conditions in winter have made the trip even more dangerous.

According to the IOM, more than a million refugees arrived in Europe by sea last year. (T/P010/R07)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)