On Wednesday, off the Greek island of Lesbos in the Aegean Sea, a boat carrying migrants capsized, resulting in the deaths of at least two individuals and the disappearance of up to sixteen others, according to port police.
Strong winds caused an inflatable dinghy from the adjacent Turkish coast to run aground on the rocky shores of Agios Georgios, east of Lesbos, at approximately 3:00 a.m. local time (0100 GMT).
Rescuers reported that the vessel was carrying 36 individuals.
An official from the coast guard’s office stated that authorities discovered two corpses in the water near the coast and eighteen migrants who had managed to escape the dinghy.
The remaining sixteen individuals, according to authorities, dispersed after the vessel capsized and remained missing.
Bad weather on Wednesday prevented Coast Guard patrol vessels from conducting maritime investigations, resulting in a prohibition on sailing.
Lesbos Island serves as a critical juncture for migrants attempting to gain entry into the European Union, with a considerable number undertaking hazardous maritime voyages.
Greece has increased its maritime surveillance in the Aegean Sea in collaboration with Frontex, the border protection agency of the European Union.
Off the coast of Pylos in the Peloponnese, in June, a dilapidated vessel capsized and sank, dumping 82 individuals at sea and leaving hundreds unaccounted for.
Because the Greek authorities failed to take adequate measures before the sinking of the vessel, forty of the survivors have filed a class action lawsuit against them.