18 migrants drown off western coast of Turkey
The coastguard rescued 21 people travelling by a boat that capsized due to strong waves and overloading.
As many as 18 migrants, including six children, drowned off the western coast of Dikili in Turkey on Thursday. Reuters, citing the Dogan News Agency, reported that the wooden boat carrying them capsized due to strong waves and overloading. The Turkish coastguard rescued 21 others travelling by the boat and is searching for more survivors. Among those rescued was a one-year-old child.
The International Organisation for Migration had said on Tuesday that at least a million migrants had travelled to the European Union in 2015. While 3,700 people died or went missing during their journeys, smugglers arranging their transit earned $1 billion in the process.