A woman and a young boy were found dead after a boat carrying more than 50 migrants sank off the Greek island of Ikaria, Greek coastguard authorities said, highlighting ongoing dangers of Mediterranean crossings.
A boat carrying over 50 migrants sank in the northern Aegean Sea near the Greek island of Ikaria, resulting in the deaths of a woman and a young boy, authorities reported on Sunday. Port officials said rescue vessels recovered about 50 individuals from the water and were providing care, but with strong winds—reaching force 6 on the Beaufort scale—and rough conditions complicating ongoing search and rescue efforts.
Coastguard spokespersons said three people were still unaccounted for, as divers and additional rescue teams were expected to join operations later in the day. Ikaria is close to Turkey’s western coast, a well-known departure point for migrants attempting to reach the European Union, often in overcrowded and unsafe vessels.
Migrant crossings in the Aegean and from Libya to southern Greek islands such as Crete remain perilous; earlier this month, 17 people were found dead and 15 more declared missing after another boat sank off Crete. Crete became a new migration hotspot after the EU failed to close the Libyan route. Officials have warned that pressure has shifted south as enforcement tightened elsewhere.
