Baghdad: At least 14 people have died, and search and rescue efforts continue for possible survivors after a rubber boat carrying migrants sank off the coast of Mugla province in western Turkey.

According to National Iraqi News Agency, the Mugla Governor’s Office stated in a statement that an Afghan survivor managed to swim back to shore after the rubber boat he was on sank and informed emergency teams that the boat was carrying 18 people, but it was submerged shortly after setting off.

The office added in its statement that a second survivor was found on ‚¬Å¡¬€¦¡¬€š¬¦¡¬¡elebi Island off the coast of Bodrum.

Rescue teams confirmed that they recovered 14 bodies from the sea, while the search for the missing continues using four coast guard boats, a diving team, and a helicopter.

The Aegean Sea is one of the main transit routes for irregular migrants attempting to cross from North Africa and the Middle East to Europe, particularly through Turkey, which hosts millions of refugees from Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan.

Statistics from the Turkish Directorate General of Migration Management showed that the number of irregular migrants apprehended in Turkey peaked in 2019, reaching approximately 455,000, mostly from Afghanistan and Syria, while more than 122,000 migrants have been apprehended since the beginning of the year until mid-October.