Tragedy Strikes as Boat Capsizes off Greece, Claiming Five Migrant Lives
Tragedy struck on Monday, resulting in the loss of five lives, among them an 11-month-old girl. Additionally, 54 individuals were successfully rescued when two migrant boats capsized near Greece, according to officials.
The initial incident occurred at approximately 3:00 am (0000 GMT) near the island of Samos, situated close to the Turkish border. The coastguard promptly intervened, saving 37 individuals. Tragically, one woman lost her life in the process, as reported by government spokesperson Pavlos Marinakis and the coastguard.
Around four hours later, another boat met a similar fate near the Greek island of Lesbos. This second disaster claimed the lives of four migrants, including an eight-year-old boy and three girls aged 11 months, eight years, and 14 years, according to Marinakis.
Public broadcaster ERT highlighted a rise in migrant arrivals in Greece during August. Approximately 1,100 individuals arrived, marking an increase from 789 in July and 608 in June, as confirmed by government figures. ERT also noted that in the first eight months of the current year, a total of 10,790 migrants had entered Greece, a significant rise from 5,216 during the corresponding period of the previous year.
During June, a heavily overloaded fishing trawler transporting as many as 750 individuals, who had been rescued in Libya, tragically sank in the vicinity of Greece.
Approximately 100 of these individuals were successfully rescued, but the Greek authorities estimate that around 600 lost their lives in the incident.
In recent years, Greece has witnessed an influx of thousands of migrants, predominantly hailing from Syria, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. These migrants have arrived through both sea and land routes from Turkey.
In response to this pressing challenge, Greece has implemented stringent migration policies. The country has escalated patrols within the Aegean Sea, which lies between Greece and Turkey. These efforts have been reinforced in collaboration with the European Border Surveillance Agency, known as Frontex.
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