Istanbul, Jan 30 (IANS) At least 10 refugees, including five children, drowned as their boat capsized in the Aegean Sea early Saturday while heading to the Greek island of Lesbos, the media reported.
The boat carried at least 53 refugees from Syria, Afghanistan and Myanmar when it overturned off Bademli coast, western Turkey, soon after departing from Ayvacik district of Canakkale, Xinhua reported.
The Turkish coast guard rescued 43 people from the sea, the report said.
Over 80,000 refugees were saved off Turkish coasts in 2015 alone, while more than 3,000 died on their way to Greek islands via Turkey, the Turkish coast guard said.
On Thursday, 24 people, among them 10 children, died off Greece’s Samos island when a boat carrying migrants from Turkey to Greece capsized.