61 refugees drown to death as boat sinks

At least 61 migrants trying to reach Europe through Turkey were drowned yesterday when their boat capsized off the Aegean town of Menderes in Izmir province. Among the dead were 18 women, 29 children and two babies, while 46 people were rescued alive, including two Turkish crew members - the captain and his mate, who were both detained for crimes of human trafficking. The 15-meter fishing boat sank after hitting rocks at around 5:30 a.m. local time close to the shore near the village of Ahmetbeyli in the province of Izmir. Many of the migrants were able to swim to the shore that was 50 meters away from where the boat went down. The toll was so high because most of the migrants, including children and babies, were locked below decks. The Izmir governor's office said the survivors were Palestinian and Syrian nationals and that they had been taken to Ahmetbeyli for health checks. Two people were admitted to hospital.