Immigrant boat capsizes off Greece’s Lesbos island: 16 dead

Immigrant boat capsizes off Greece’s Lesbos island: 16 dead
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Stormy weather in the Aegean Sea smashed two immigrant boats causing dozens of immigrants to go missing

Sixteen young immigrant women of African origin were killed after their boat capsized off Lesbos island early Thursday morning in the east of Mediterranean Sea, in the second maritime disaster involving migrants in less than a day, Greek officials said.

Nine women were rescued after the shipwreck and taken to hospital, where they were given first aid, according to the local media. 

In total, there were about 40 people on board the boat in Lesbos, the rescued migrants said. Greek Coast Guard continue the search for the missing immigrants. 

The boat left late on Wednesday night from Ayvalik, Turkey,  under particularly unfavorable conditions, the Greek officials said. Greece’s minister of migration warned Turkey to take extra precautions to prevent other boats from taking off. 

Earlier, Greek authorities rescued 80 migrants whose boat sank after hitting a rocky area in stormy waters near the island of Kythira in southern Greece. According to those rescued, 15 were still missing and the search and rescue operation was still ongoing.