4 children, woman die in Aegean Sea

By Magda Panoutsopoulou

ATHENS (AA) - Four children aged around 5 years old and a 20-year-old woman died Sunday after the migrant dinghy they were on board capsized southeast of Leros island in the Aegean Sea.

Port authorities said two boys and a girl and a fourth child not yet identified were hospitalized but did not survive.

The woman was found in the sea.

According to local media, a total of 41 migrants were rescued when a search and rescue operation found them in a remote area of the island.

The migrants were later transported to the island’s reception and identification center.

Six children and two adults were transferred to a hospital in Leros. Four of the children died, while the two adults are still hospitalized.

Authorities said that most of the migrants came from Africa, while the number on board the dinghy is still not known.

The dinghy was caught in rough seas with winds registering 8 on the Beaufort scale, or gale force, with low visibility and heavy rain.​​​​​​​