A young woman and four children died on Sunday after a boat with more than 40 migrants on board sank off the Greek island of Leros. The Hellenic Coast Guard launched a major rescue operation for those on board the inflatable boat, but were hampered by strong winds.
According to local media, a fisherman raised the alarm when he saw the woman’s body floating in the sea. The Coast Guard managed to get 41 people off the boat. Six children and two adults were taken to a hospital, where four children could not be saved. According to the Greek news agency ‘ANA’, among them were two boys of about five years old and a girl of four. The young woman who died was about twenty years old.
The boat came from the direction of Turkey. The passengers were of African descent. Some of them have physical limitations. Greek Maritime Minister Giannis Plakiotakis said in a statement about the drama: “Unfortunately, innocent victims have lost their lives again due to the criminal behavior of people smugglers.”
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