At least 8 people lost their lives when a speedboat carrying migrants capsized off the eastern Greek island of Rhodes on Friday morning, Greek authorities reported.
The boat was attempting “dangerous maneuvers” to avoid a coast guard patrol, which led to the migrants falling into the sea. Eighteen people were rescued, with eight survivors hospitalized, one in critical condition. Rescue teams, using coast guard vessels and a helicopter, searched the area near Afantou Beach. It remains unclear if any passengers are still missing.
Rhodes, located near the Turkish coast, is a key point along a busy smuggling route in the eastern Mediterranean. At the island’s main port, police and medical workers shielded the bodies of the deceased with gray tarps as they were transported to ambulances.
This marks the second deadly migrant incident in the past week, as authorities in Athens prepare for an expected increase in migrant arrivals due to conflicts in the Middle East. Over the weekend, a boat partially sank south of Crete, killing seven migrants and leaving dozens missing, with over 200 migrants rescued in total during four separate operations. The search near the small island of Gavdos was called off on Wednesday.
The number of migrants illegally traveling to Greece is expected to exceed 60,000 this year, with Syrians making up the largest group, followed by Afghans, Egyptians, Eritreans, and Palestinians, according to government statistics.
