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Refugees and migrants trying to reach the Greek island of Lesbos after crossing the Aegean sea from Turkey on September 30, 2015. Photo: AFP
A boat overcrowded with Syrian refugees drowned off the coast of western Turkey on Friday, killing 11 of the 19 people on board. Eight of those killed were children.
Ibrahim Kheze Ahmed lost several members of his family, including his 6 month old grandniece and 8 year old grandson. Their parents were seeking a better life in Europe.
Friday's incident is a repeat of the all too frequent sinking of ill-equipped migrant boats between Turkey and Greece in recent years, drowning hundreds of mostly Syrians fleeing war in their home country.
On January 11, a boat carrying more than 50 migrants, including people from the Kurdistan Region, sank in the Ionian Sea south-west of the Greek island of Paxos on Saturday, killing 12.
Six people have been arrested in connection with the packed boat’s capsize. The bodies of those who died are being held by Izmir’s medico-legal department.
Reporting by Rawin Sterk
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