5 migrants drown off Greek island of Samos

Five migrants who took the risk of crossing the Aegean Sea in their bid to reach Europe unfortunately drowned when their boat capsized of the Greek island of Samos close to the coast of Turkey.

The five migrants- four women and one child –according to Greek coast guard officials, were fleeing war and poverty in the Middle East when they met their untimely deaths but five others were rescued by eagle eyed coats guards as other coast guard vessels assisted by a helicopter were searching for more survivors.

Read also: EgyptAir crash: French, Italian firms contracted to help search for black box

Reports say the incident occurred a day after two ferries took more than 120 migrants back to Turkey from the Greek island of Lesbos, in the second round of returns under an EU deal with Ankara to halt mass migration across the Aegean Sea to Europe.

The accord, which came into force on Monday, aims to stem an uncontrolled influx into the European Union of people fleeing war and poverty in the Middle East and beyond, after more than 1 million arrived last year.

RipplesNigeria …without borders, without fears

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now