The Greek Coast Guard has activated a search operation to try to locate dozens of migrants missing after the shipwreck of a boat off the coast of the Aegean island of Evia on Tuesday.
The skiff had departed from Izmir, Turkey, and 68 people were on board, according to the first estimates of the coast guard, according to ERT channel. The emergency services have recovered alive nine migrants who had climbed onto an islet.
Marine and aerial means are working in the search operations, although the area is suffering strong winds on Tuesday that complicate both navigation and search tasks.
Before this new tragedy, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) had already recorded some 300 deaths in the eastern Mediterranean, which remains a frequent passage for those who want to reach Greece from Turkey. Since 2014, more than 2,100 migrants and refugees have died in this area.
