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

ANKARA, April 1 (Reuters) - ‌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.

A coastguard helicopter and three boats were dispatched to the area ⁠for search and rescue operations, the coastguard said, adding that they had rescued 21 people ⁠so far.

The statement did not say where the boat ​had departed from or where it was heading.

The Aegean Sea is a frequent transit route for thousands ‌of migrants attempting to cross from North Africa and the Middle ‌East into Europe, particularly from Turkey, which ⁠hosts millions of ‌refugees from Syria, ​Iraq and Afghanistan.

(Reporting by Tuvan Gumrukcu; Editing by Daren Butler and Alison ‌Williams)

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