At least 14 people drowned when a rubber boat carrying migrants sank in Turkey’s western Mugla province on Friday, the local governor’s office said, adding that a search and rescue operation was underway for possible survivors.
In a statement, the Mugla governor’s office said an Afghan man who survived the disaster and swam back to dry land raised the alarm shortly after 1am.
The Afghan national told emergency services that 18 people had boarded the boat, but that a short time later it entered the water and sank, the governor’s office said.
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Search and rescue teams found a second survivor who managed to reach the island of Celebi, off Bodrum. They also removed 14 bodies from the sea.
“Search and rescue efforts for other irregular immigrants considered missing continue with four Coast Guard boats, a special Coast Guard dive team and a helicopter,” the governor’s office added.
The Aegean Sea is a frequent transit route for thousands of migrants trying to cross from North Africa and the Middle East to Europe, especially Turkey, which is home to millions of refugees from Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan.
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The number of irregular migrants caught in Türkiye peaked in 2019 at nearly 455,000 people, mainly from Afghanistan and Syria, according to the Migration Management Presidency.
More than 122,000 immigrants were detained in Türkiye as of October 16 this year.
