A tragic maritime incident unfolded on Sunday off Turkey’s north-western coast when a high-speed vessel carrying migrants collided with a Turkish coast guard boat, claiming five lives and leaving one woman critically injured. Rescue authorities remain engaged in a search for another person who went missing in the collision.
The provincial government of Balıkesir issued a statement confirming that the boat, transporting 34 migrants alongside a suspected trafficker, crashed into the coast guard vessel near Ayvalık district’s Badavut shoreline.
“As a result of the search and rescue operations in the region, it was determined that five people who fell into the sea lost their lives. One person, a woman, was severely wounded and sent to hospital,” it stated.
An investigation has been launched by the Ayvalık prosecutor’s office.
This tragic event highlights the perilous nature of the Aegean Sea migration route—a corridor notoriously traversed by those fleeing conflict or economic hardship in the Middle East, North Africa, and beyond.
Despite enhanced patrols and attempts to clamp down on smugglers, deadly incidents remain frequent. Many embark on overcrowded, unseaworthy vessels and face not only hazardous seas but also the very real threat of interception or forced return.
The human toll of irregular maritime migration continues to mount. In 2024, despite a decline in sea arrivals to Europe, UNHCR estimates that at least 3,500 people died or went missing on Mediterranean crossings, with actual figures likely even higher.
In the first seven months of 2025 alone, more than 1,500 migrants perished in the Mediterranean, as reported by UNHCR.
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