A fast-moving boat carrying Afghan migrants capsized in the Aegean Sea on Wednesday while attempting to evade the coastguard in rough waters, leaving 19 dead — including a baby, officials said.
The Turkish Coast Guard Command said the boat carrying dozens of migrants ignored repeated warnings to stop and attempted to flee at high speed. The boat began to take on water in the choppy waters and eventually capsized.
At least 20 other migrants were rescued, with rescue teams supported by a helicopter dispatched from the nearby city of Izmir initially pulling 21 survivors from the water and recovering 18 bodies, the Coast Guard said.
One of the migrants later died in hospital, and the search is continuing for at least one other person who is unaccounted for, the Coast Guard said.
