Near the Greek island of Lesbos: 15 refugees drowned in a boat accident

At least 15 people died when a refugee boat capsized near the Greek island of Lesbos. It is the second shipwreck involving migrants in Greece within 24 hours.

At least 15 people have died when a refugee boat sank near the Greek island of Lesbos. The dead were found after the sinking of a dinghy with about 40 people in stormy weather, the Greek coast guard said. Five people could therefore be saved, about 20 people are still missing.

A Greek Coast Guard ship and an Air Force helicopter rushed to the aid of search and rescue teams struggling with high winds in the area east of Lesvos. At the time of the accident, wind speeds of up to 102 kilometers per hour were measured in the region.

Second shipwreck within 24 hours

This is the second shipwreck involving migrants in Greece within 24 hours. Authorities had previously rescued 30 migrants near the island of Kythira after their boat ran aground on a rock and sank in stormy waters. I

Greece is often the first port of call for migrants from Africa and the Middle East on their way to Europe. Thousands cross the Turkish-Greek border on the Evros River or risk the dangerous crossing of the Aegean Sea. In the first eight months of this year, the Greek coast guard rescued around 1,500 refugees at sea – last year there were fewer than 600.