Kusadasi: Seven people drowned after a rubber boat carrying illegal immigrants capsized in the Aegean Sea off Turkey’s western coast. The Turkish Coast Guard reported the tragic incident, which involved a group of forty migrants attempting to reach Europe.

According to National Iraqi News Agency, the Coast Guard confirmed that the group embarked near the resort town of Kusadasi, approximately fifteen kilometers from the Greek island of Samos. During an interception attempt by Turkish forces, seven individuals fell into the water and drowned. The authorities managed to promptly recover three bodies, while the remaining bodies were found after a search operation. In the same operation, 18 adults and 13 minors were successfully rescued.

The International Organization for Migration reported last December that 2,333 migrants have drowned or disappeared during illegal journeys across the Mediterranean Sea towards European shores in 2024.