At least 18 dead after migrant boat sinks off Turkey’s Aegean coast

At least 18 people were killed when an inflatable boat carrying migrants sank off Turkey’s western province of Mugla on Wednesday, the coastguard said in a statement, adding that search and rescue efforts continued in the area.

The coastguard said the boat, with an outboard motor, was detected at 0300 GMT off the coast of Mugla’s Bodrum district, and that it tried to flee despite repeated warnings to stop.

The boat later took in water due to adverse weather and sea conditions in the area and sank, it added.