12 Migrants Die in Separate Aegean Sea Crossing Incidents

Twelve migrants have died in two separate incidents while attempting to cross the Aegean Sea, according to the Greek coast guard. Six people, including a baby and four women, died off the island of Lesbos on Monday after a speedboat carrying migrants collided with a police patrol vessel. A coast guard official told AFP that the boat struck the port side of the patrol vessel, adding that eight people were rescued following the incident. The circumstances surrounding the collision were not fully detailed in the initial report.

In a separate incident off the island of Samos, six migrants — five men and one woman — died after a small boat capsized. The coast guard said another 14 people were rescued, including a person suspected of organizing the crossing who was believed to be Iranian. The Aegean Sea is a frequently used route for migrants travelling from Turkey in an attempt to reach Europe, but the journey has been marked by repeated deadly incidents. In September, one person died and 25 others were reported missing after a migrant boat sank near the island of Gavdos, close to Crete.

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