By Sandra Kenneth
At least 12 migrants lost their lives on Monday in twin maritime tragedies while attempting to cross the perilous Aegean Sea from Turkey toward Europe, Greek authorities have confirmed.
In the most severe incident, six people—including a baby and four women—died off the island of Lesbos after a migrant speedboat collided directly with a Greek police patrol vessel.
According to a coast guard official speaking to AFP, the collision occurred under yet-to-be-clarified circumstances, impacting the port side of the patrol boat. Eight survivors were rescued from the wreckage by emergency responders.
In a separate disaster on the same day, another six migrants—comprising five men and a woman—drowned when their small, overcrowded boat capsized off the island of Samos.
Coast guard units managed to rescue 14 other passengers from the sinking vessel. Among the survivors, authorities identified one individual as a presumed organizer of the illegal crossing, who is now in custody.
The Aegean Sea remains one of the world’s most heavily trafficked and lethal corridors for refugees and migrants attempting to flee hardship in the Middle East and Africa in search of sanctuary in Europe. Despite stepped-up patrols, deadly incidents remain distressingly frequent.
Monday’s fatalities compound an already grim record for maritime migration in the region. Just last month, another migrant vessel sank off the island of Gavdos near Crete, leaving one person dead and 25 others missing.
Greek maritime authorities have launched formal investigations into both Monday incidents as rescue and recovery operations continue across the affected waters.
