ATHENS: Twelve migrants died on Monday while attempting to cross the Aegean Sea, including six whose bodies were recovered after their boat collided with a police patrol vessel, Greek authorities said.
A baby and four women were among the six people who died off the island of Lesbos, a coast guard official told Agence France-Presse (AFP). Eight people were rescued following the collision.
The coast guard official said a speedboat carrying migrants had collided with the port side of a police patrol vessel.
In a separate incident, six people — five men and one woman — died after a small boat capsized off the island of Samos, the coast guard said. Another 14 people aboard the boat were rescued, including a person believed to be an Iranian organiser.
The Aegean Sea is a frequently used route for migrants travelling from Turkey in hopes of reaching Europe, with numerous deaths reported along the crossing.
In September, one person died and 25 others remained missing after a migrant boat sank off the island of Gavdos, near Crete.