43 killed as immigrant boat sinks off Turkey coast

At least 43 people died when a boat carrying illegal immigrants sank off Turkey’s Aegean coast, an official said today.

The 50ft (15m) vessel is believed to have capsized in rough weather on Saturday off the coast of Seferihisar, a town south of the city of Izmir, local governor Orhan Sefik Guldibi said.

Six people were rescued and taken to hospital for treatment, mostly for shock.

Citing survivors, coastguards said a total of 85 people were on board and authorities feared the death toll would rise.

“We are trying to keep our hopes alive but the possibility of more survivors is diminishing,” Mr Guldibi said.

“Boats and helicopters are searching for more migrants in the sea,” he said. “Because of the strong wind, we think the bodies should be closer to the coast than where this boat sank. But they are searching far off the coast as well.”

Two survivors were Palestinians, but there was no immediate information on the nationalities of the other people on board.

Television footage showed a coastguard official pulling a body from the sea on to a beach. A boat brought a dozen more bodies, which were placed in black body bags and lined up along a dock.

Strong winds and rough seas hampered rescue work, private NTV television reported. Rescuers were also searching areas close to the Greek island of Chios for bodies, the report said.

Thousands of immigrants from Asia and Africa enter Turkey illegally on their way to European Union countries in search of jobs and a better life.

Smugglers often take them from the Turkish coast to nearby Greek islands on fragile and overcrowded boats, and such accidents are not uncommon.

The European Union, which Turkey wants to join, is pressing Turkey to crack down on illegal immigration.

EU member Greece, which has an 8,000-mile (13,000km) coastline dotted with thousands of islands, has accused Turkish authorities of not doing enough to halt the flow of illegal immigrants.

Turkey has increased patrols along its Aegean and Mediterranean coastlines, but boats still get through. Smugglers travel at night to reduce the chances of being detected and choose the winter months when Turkey’s coasts are deserted.