Afghan migrants rescued in Aegean Sea after boat begins to sink off Çanakkale

ÇANAKKALE – Anadolu Agency

Turkish Coast Guards attended a distress signal from the boat, resuing the 28 Afghan migrants on board. AA photo

Twenty-eight migrants were rescued in the northern Aegean Sea after their ship started to sink off the coast of Çanakkale in the early hours of Feb. 23.

The migrants were headed to the Greek Island of Lesbos, which is one of the main ports of haven of refugees transiting from Turkey to reach Europe. 

Turkish Coast Guards attended a distress signal from the boat after it sailed one kilometer from the shore of the province’s Ayvacık district. 

All migrants were then transferred to a Repatriation Center. 

The narrow escape was the latest incident reflecting a dramatic increase of the number of migrants attempting to reach Greece risking their life with overcrowded and unequipped vessels. 

In one of the tragic accidents that took place last August, a speed boat carrying illegal migrants capsized in international waters off Turkey’s Aegean Sea, resulting in the death of 24 refugees.

The number of Syrian refugees who attempted the risky journey from Turkey’s shore has also seen an exponential rise in recent months.