69 Afghan refugees rescued, two migrants drown in Aegean

İZMİR - Anadolu Agency

DHA Photo

Turkish coast guards rescued 69 Afghan refugees off the coast of western Izmir province Dec. 21, local official sources said.

The refugees were rescued while they were trying to go to the Greek island of Chios.

Meanwhile, the bodies of two people, including a three-and-a-half year old child and a 17-year-old girl, were found off the coast of Çeşme in İzmir province.

The bodies were sent to a forensic institution in İzmir for identification.

İzmir, Muğla, Aydın and Çanakkale - the four Turkish provinces that face Greek islands in the Aegean and Mediterranean seas - are prime spots for refugees heading for the EU.

At least 3,138 refugees have died crossing the Mediterranean Sea so far this year, according to the International Organization for Migration.

According to the UN’s Refugee Agency, more than 640,000 people have arrived in Europe via the Mediterranean so far this year.