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12 migrants killed in Aegean Sea incidents, including Greek police boat collision

Migrants, attempting to cross the Mediterranean sea on a dinghy, are picked up at sea and rescued by the Greek Coast Guard, off the south coast of Crete island, on November 18, 2025. (AFP Photo)
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Migrants, attempting to cross the Mediterranean sea on a dinghy, are picked up at sea and rescued by the Greek Coast Guard, off the south coast of Crete island, on November 18, 2025. (AFP Photo)
October 19, 2026 12:28 PM GMT+03:00

Twelve migrants died in two separate incidents in the Aegean Sea on Monday, including six people killed when a boat carrying migrants collided with a Greek police patrol vessel near the island of Lesbos, authorities said.

A baby and four women were among the six people who died following the collision off Lesbos, a Greek coast guard official told Agence France-Presse (AFP).

The official said a speedboat carrying migrants struck the port side of a police patrol vessel.

"A speedboat carrying migrants collided with the port side of a police patrol vessel," the official said.

The coast guard said eight people were rescued after the incident.

Authorities did not immediately provide further details about the circumstances surrounding the collision.

Six migrants die in separate boat capsizing off Samos

In a separate incident Monday, six migrants, including five men and one woman, died when a small boat capsized off the Greek island of Samos, the coast guard said.

Rescue teams saved 14 people from the vessel, including a suspected Iranian organizer of the crossing.

Authorities did not immediately provide further details about the victims' identities or the circumstances that caused the boat to capsize.

Aegean Sea remains dangerous migration route

The Aegean Sea is a major migration route for people attempting to cross from Türkiye to Greece and enter the European Union.

The journey, frequently undertaken in small and overcrowded vessels, has resulted in numerous deaths over the years.

In September, one person died, and 25 others were reported missing after a boat carrying migrants sank off the island of Gavdos, near Crete.

Monday's incidents add to the continuing loss of life along maritime migration routes between Türkiye and Greece.

October 19, 2026 12:28 PM GMT+03:00
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