- At least 18 migrants were travelling across the Mediterranean to start new lives in Europe.
- They perished in two separate boat catastrophes.
- Strong gusts caused one boat to sink off the coast of Lesbos.
- The other sank in the Aegean Sea.
Greek authorities report that at least 18 migrants who were travelling across the Mediterranean to start new lives in Europe have perished in two separate boat catastrophes.
Strong gusts caused one boat to sink off the coast of Lesbos. There were 40 passengers, all of whom were supposedly female. According to the Greek coast guard, 16 of them had been discovered dead by Thursday morning.
According to reports, nine women were saved, while searches for 15 further women continued by boat and chopper.
Meanwhile, late on Wednesday off the island of Kythira, a sailboat carrying about 95 migrants and refugees capsized due to heavy winds and collided with a rocky ledge.
Despite the fact that 80 people had been saved, two had been discovered dead by Thursday morning, according to the rescue teams.
Online videos depicted the boat’s passengers attempting to scale the rock wall in a desperate manner following the collision.
“We could see the boat colliding with the rocks, and we could see people scrambling up the rocks to attempt to escape.” Local resident Martha Stathaki told The Associated Press, “It was an astonishing sight.
“All of the locals went down to the harbour to attempt to assist.”
To assist the refugees in scaling the cliffs, fire department rescue personnel deployed ropes. Later on Thursday, it’s anticipated that Navy divers will join the effort.
Local authorities announced that the rescued people will be housed at a nearby school.
In 2015 and 2016, when one million refugees from conflict and poverty in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria entered, mostly via Turkey, Greece was at the centre of Europe’s dilemma.
Since then, the number of refugees entering the country has dramatically decreased, although desperate people continue to attempt to enter the nation through its islands by sea.
In comparison to the first eight months of last year, the coastguard reports that it has saved almost 1,500 persons, an increase from less than 600.
At least 30 individuals perished in three different refugee boat sinkings in the Aegean in December. Since some victims are never found or arrive at shore weeks later, it is difficult to preserve precise counts.
Greece has consistently denied charges made by human rights organisations that numerous persons have been forcibly returned to Turkey without being given the chance to request asylum.
Greek “oppressive actions” toward refugees, according to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, are turning the Aegean into a “graveyard.”
Notis Mitarachi, the minister responsible for migration and asylum in Greece, claimed this week that Turkey is “violently pushing ahead refugees to Greece, in breach of international law” as well as a 2016 migration accord with the EU.
Crisis-hit Additionally, there are more people travelling by water from Lebanon to Europe.
A small boat carrying more than 150 people set off on Wednesday morning in the direction of Italy in search of a better life.
The boat capsized due to the large seas off the Syrian port of Tartous, which is located around 50 kilometres (30 miles) north of Tripoli in Lebanon. It is estimated that 100 persons died.
According to the United Nations, those on board included both youngsters and old people and were primarily Lebanese, Syrians, and Palestinians.
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