Bodies of two more people recovered from sunken boat in Lake Van

VAN

Rescue and search teams have recovered the bodies of two more people who died after a boat that was believed to be carrying 55 to 60 migrants sank in Lake Van in eastern Turkey last week.

A total of 11 bodies have been recovered so far, and four people have been arrested in connection with the incident.

Units from the gendarmerie and police forces, as well as the Turkish Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD) are taking part in the search operations.

Unfavorable weather conditions are hampering the efforts, officials said.

At least 42 asylum seekers were held in western Turkey for attempting to reach Europe illegally, a security source told state-run Anadolu Agency on July 6.

Acting on a tipoff, provincial gendarmerie command teams in the Menderes district of İzmir province detained 36 Congo nationals, four Central African Republic nationals, and two Afghan nationals who were preparing to travel to Greece, said the source.

Due to its geographical location and conflicts in neighboring regions, Turkey has been one of the main routes for asylum seekers seeking to start a new life in Europe.

The deadly civil war in Syria has been one of the triggering factors behind the large-scale migration to the continent.

Turkey hosts nearly four million Syrians, more than any other country in the world.