Athens, Oct. 16, (dpa/GNA) – Three migrants died, eight were rescued from the sea, and a further two swam to safety when their boat sank off the Greek island of Symi, ERT radio reported on Monday.
According to the ERT report, the migrants told the Greek coastguard they had started their journey on the Turkish coast; Symi lies in the Aegean Sea around 10 kilometres from the coast at the closest point.
The coastguard, passing ships and a helicopter were continuing to search for survivors, the coastguard said.
The coastguard also reported that around 90 migrants had reached the Greek islands from Turkey over the weekend.
Migrants, often travelling in unseaworthy and overcrowded boats, repeatedly seek to make the crossing from the mainland to Greece, Cyprus and even southern Italy. Fatal accidents occur frequently.
GNA