12 migrants die, 28 rescued in the Aegean Sea

İZMİR

AA photo

At least 12 migrants died while 28 others were rescued in the Aegean Sea on Jan. 21 after their boat capsized off the Foça district in the Western province of İzmir, according to Anadolu Agency reports.

The Turkish Coast Guard rescued 28 migrants, including women and children, off the Aslanburnu coast in Foça, bound for the Greek island of Lesbos.

Arriving at the area after a call made by fishermen, Coast Guard teams started a rescue operation with a helicopter and three boats.

The dead bodies of 12 migrants were found by coast guards in the Aegean Sea. The search and rescue efforts from air and sea still continue for the missing migrants who were also in the same boat.

The rescued migrants were sent to a hospital in Foça after emergency service’s initial response.

A majority of the rescued migrants were Syrians, according to the Doğan News Agency.