An inflatable craft reportedly carrying irregular migrants sank off the eastern Aegean island of Samos on Monday with at least three bodies recovered by noon time and another 33 people initially missing.
Greek authorities said the vessel sank off the Aghios Isidoros site on the island’s northwest.
A search and rescue operation by the Greek Coast Guard was underway. Another five people believed to have been transported by the migrant boat were later located on land. They were transfered to a closed registration center on the island.
The victims were identified as two women and an underaged girl.
Two vessels and a helicopter were participating in the search and rescue effort amid choppy waters due to 5-6 on the Beaufort scale winds blowing in the area.
Additionally, police are combing the island’s western and northwestern coastline in search of survivors.
The narrow Mycale Strait, also known as the Samos Strait, separating Samos fr0m the opposite west Asia Minor shores is a favorite path for migrant smugglers operating from Turkey. Third country nationals are assembled on the Turkish side, charged thousands of euros each, and ferried onto the nearest Greek territory in a bid to reach preferred west European destinations, or, if intercepted, file an asylum request with Greek authorities.
