A migrant boat sank near Yalıkavak, Bodrum, claiming 19 lives. Search and rescue operations are ongoing to locate survivors.
In the Yalıkavak area of the Bodrum district in Muğla, 19 people lost their lives as a result of a fast inflatable boat carrying irregular migrants capsizing.
According to the information obtained, a fast inflatable boat, believed to be carrying irregular migrants, was detected by the Coast Guard Surveillance Vessel heading towards Greece's İleryöz Island.
The boat did not heed warnings and subsequently capsized.
Following this, the Coast Guard vessel TCSG-302, dispatched to the area, issued a 'stop' warning to the inflatable boat in question. However, it was reported that the boat continued to advance without heeding the warnings and capsized due to taking on water, exacerbated by adverse sea conditions.
Search and rescue mobilization was initiated.
Upon receiving reports that migrants had fallen into the sea, three additional Coast Guard boats were dispatched to the area, and to provide aerial support for the operations, one Coast Guard helicopter was assigned from İzmir.
Search and rescue operations were initiated by the teams that arrived at the scene.
The death toll has risen to 19.
According to initial assessments, the lifeless bodies of 11 irregular migrants were recovered. It was later learned that the number of deceased had risen to 19 as the operations continued.
It was reported that 20 irregular migrants were rescued alive in the incident.
Source: SeaNews Türkiye
