12 migrants drown off Turkish coast
Twelve migrants lost their lives off the Turkish coast, after a boat taking them to the Greek islands capsized Thursday in severe weather.
Turkey’s coast guard says 26 other migrants were rescued off the Turkish Aegean resort of Foca, near Izmir.
The Turkish Dogan News Agency reported the coast guard found the bodies of at least five children. News agency video showed the bodies of victims lined up in bags on the sea front.
Security forces detained two alleged human smugglers, the state-run Anadolu Agency reported.
Th coast guard says about 40 migrants have died this year off Turkey’s coast while trying to cross into Greece.
According to International Organization for Migration estimates, since January 1 more than 31,000 people crossed the Mediterranean to Greece, about 21 times as many as recorded by the Greek Coast Guard for all of January 2015.
Source: VOANews.com