The people traveling on a sailboat had sent out a distress signal because of the high winds, Coast Guard headquarters said. All passengers were healthy and taken to the port of Neapolis. It was initially unclear from which countries they came; However, they would have started from Turkey and had Italy as their destination.
Hardly a day goes by in the Eastern Mediterranean without migrants being spotted on their way to Italy. Smuggling gangs organize these trips from the Turkish Aegean coast and eastern Mediterranean countries such as Syria and Lebanon. Engine damage or other accidents often happen on the often dilapidated boats used by the smugglers.
The travelers are also often completely inexperienced when it comes to boats, stormy weather and heavy seas. Accidents continue to kill people, whose bodies are sometimes only discovered after several days. Official sources do not mention a number of deaths in the region.
(SDA)