18 dead after migrant boat sinks near Turkey

  • 20/12/2015
Turkey boat (Reuters)
Turkey boat (Reuters)

Eighteen people died, including children, after a migrant boat headed for Greece sank near south Turkey on Friday (local time).

Dogan News Agency has reported the boat sank 3.5 kilometres off the southern Turkish town of Bodrum.

Fisherman alerted the Turkish coastguard when they heard screaming. The migrants are understood to be from Iraq, Pakistan and Syria.

Fourteen people have been taken to hospital, many in a serious condition.

Nearly 600 people have died this year on the Mediterranean Sea, a route voyaged by 500,000 refugees, according to the International Organisation for Migration.

Turkey negotiated with the European Union in November, vowing to help the flow of migrants into Europe in return for €3 billion for the 2.2 million Syrians Ankara had been hosting, as well as visas.

3 News