Boat Carrying Migrants Sinks off Bodrum, Claims 14 Lives
A rubber boat carrying migrants sank on Friday, October 23, in the Aegean Sea near the coast of Bodrum, Turkey. According to an official statement from the local authorities in Muğla province, the bodies of 14 migrants have been recovered, while a search operation is underway for two others who remain missing.
Local officials said the Turkish Coast Guard was alerted to the incident in the early morning hours and launched a rescue mission. So far, two passengers have been rescued, one of whom managed to reach the nearby island of Çelebi. According to a survivor, the boat was carrying 18 people and capsized just ten minutes after taking on water.
The governor’s office reported that one of the survivors is an Afghan national, but no information has been provided regarding the nationalities of the other victims and survivors. This lack of detail has raised concerns that more of the deceased could be from Afghanistan. The rescue operation continues with the involvement of four Coast Guard boats, a helicopter, and a team of professional divers.
The deadly, yet short and perilous route between Turkey’s coast and the Greek islands has long claimed the lives of thousands of migrants. Bodrum lies only a short distance from the Greek island of Kos, a passage that, despite its high risk, many migrants—particularly Afghans—choose in hopes of reaching Europe.
According to the International Organization for Migration, nearly 1,400 migrants have died so far this year while attempting to cross sea routes into Europe. A significant number of them came from war-torn countries, especially Afghanistan, risking their lives to escape conflict and poverty.
Such incidents once again highlight the Taliban administration’s failure to provide basic human and economic security for Afghan citizens, forcing many to take perilous routes in a bid to flee the crisis created under their rule.
