Twelve people lost their lives in two incidents in the eastern Aegean on Monday, October 19. The incidents occurred within a few hours of each other in the maritime areas off Samos and Lesbos and involved speedboats carrying migrants.
The latest incident was recorded north of Samos, where a speedboat capsized, killing six people: five men and one woman. Another 14 people on board, all men, were rescued. According to information from the Hellenic Coast Guard, the boat was first spotted by a Turkish coast guard vessel in Turkish territorial waters and then by a Greek patrol boat after it entered Greek waters.
According to the same information, the speedboat was moving at high speed and capsized after a sharp manoeuvre, about 3.7 nautical miles north of Samos. Coast Guard vessels and an Air Force helicopter took part in the search and rescue operation. Searches are continuing to establish whether anyone is missing. Among those rescued is a foreign national who is reportedly involved in the trafficking of the passengers.
A few hours earlier, six more people lost their lives in the maritime area south of Agrielia, Lesbos, after a speedboat carrying migrants collided with a Coast Guard patrol vessel. According to the Coast Guard’s official briefing, the incident occurred during a pursuit. The speedboat attempted to escape by making manoeuvres and collided with the left side of the patrol vessel. The dead were four men, one woman and an infant. Eight people were rescued and taken to Mytilene, and then to the city’s hospital for medical care.
Source: CNA
