Greece’s coastguard on Friday said at least eight people drowned during the pursuit of a speedboat carrying migrants that sank in the Aegean Sea.
The coastguard said the boat capsized as it attempted to flee, adding that another 26 people had been rescued.
Public broadcaster ERT said that 17 of those were taken to hospital.
A coastguard statement said that the boat driver had “lost control” while attempting to evade a Greek patrol vessel.
The incident struck near the island of Rhodes, opposite the Turkish coast on a route frequently used by migrant-smugglers.
Coastguard vessels and a helicopter were looking for more survivors.
Greece has seen a 25 percent increase this year in the number of migrants arriving, with a 30 percent increase to Rhodes and the southeast Aegean, according to the migration ministry.
Several similar accidents have struck in recent weeks. In late November, nine migrants, including six minors and two women, died after two boats sank in separate incidents near the islands of Samos and Lesbos.
Another five people died in a sinking near the island of Crete last weekend.
Source: AFP
