At least five children, two men and one woman died when a wooden vessel, carrying more than 280 migrants, sank three kilometres off Lesbos in Greece.
Eight more people reportedly drowned at two other locations, bringing Thursday’s toll to 16.
At least 34 people are missing after 242 people were plucked out of rough seas in a huge rescue mission by the Greek coastguard.
Fifteen children between the ages of three months and 10 years were taken to hospital with hypothermia, according to the UNHCR.
Because of the worsening weather conditions with winter approaching, fewer migrants are attempting to seek asylum and Turkish smugglers now offer discounts of up to 50 per cent on tickets costing from $1,705 to $2,168.
Rescued refugees reported to ERT broadcasting network that smugglers had to force fearful passengers onto the old boat at gunpoint after extracting from $2,788 to $3,873 per person.
Soon afterwards the boat started sinking in open waters when its crowded upper deck collapsed onto the lower deck.
Meanwhile, another 123 people were rescued off the islands of Samos and Lesbos again on Wednesday, but unfortunately 11 out of the 16 people who drowned were young children.
“We have warned for weeks that an already bad situation could get even worse if desperate refugees and migrants must continue to resort to smugglers who send them out to sea despite the worsening weather,” Alessandra Morelli, UNHCR’s senior operations coordinator for Greece told the media.
The latest sinkings came just after EU leaders met on Sunday and agreed to boost cooperation and provide UN-aided housing for 100,000 people, half of them in Greece. The EU is expected to cover costs for accommodation for 20,000 in leased apartments in addition to temporary camps for 30,000 people.
German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier who was in Athens to meet Greek President Prokopis Pavlopoulos said world leaders should stop “pointing the finger at each other”.
“It’s clear that Greece – which is trying to get back on its feet right now – is feeling this influx as a particular burden. We will really support Greece in dealing with these big challenges.”
Source: Reuters, AP