Fourteen migrants who had boarded an inflatable boat drowned in the Aegean Sea off the coast of Bodrum, in southwestern Turkey, authorities announced Friday, citing a new death toll.
“Two people (…) were rescued alive, and the lifeless bodies of 14 irregular migrants were recovered,” the local governor’s office said in a statement, after Turkish media initially reported seven deaths.
According to the Mugla governorate, one of the passengers managed to contact rescue services during the night from Thursday to Friday.
An Afghan migrant, one of the two survivors, said he had swum for six hours before reaching the shore. According to his account, 18 people were on board when the vessel began taking on water and sank.
Four coast guard boats, a team of divers, and a helicopter remain deployed in the area, the governorate added.
The popular resort town of Bodrum lies close to several Greek islands, including Kos — one of the main entry points into the European Union through the Aegean Sea.
Shipwrecks are frequent during these perilous crossings toward the Greek islands. According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), nearly 1,400 migrants have gone missing or been found dead in the Mediterranean so far in 2025.
