Five migrants drown off Greek coast, four of them children

Four migrant children have lost their lives while attempting to cross the sea from Turkey to the Greek island of Lesbos, according to the Greek government. The incident occurred on Monday. Additionally, a woman drowned in a separate incident off the island of Samos. The Greek coastguard managed to rescue 23 people in Turkish waters early on Monday, but unfortunately, four of them later died. Among the victims were an 8-year-old boy and three girls aged 14, 8, and 11 months. The government spokesman, Pavlos Marinakis, provided this information without disclosing any further details about the tragic event.

In another incident unrelated to the previous one, a woman and a child were found unconscious near the island of Samos. Despite the rescue efforts, the woman later succumbed to her injuries, as mentioned by Marinakis.

Due to its geographical location, Greece has become one of the main entry points for migrants and refugees in the European Union. These individuals are often fleeing poverty and conflict in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia. According to the United Nations refugee agency UNHCR, over 15,600 people have arrived in Greece this year, with nearly 12,000 of them choosing to make the dangerous journey by sea.

A similar tragedy occurred in June, where hundreds of individuals perished in international waters off Greece when the fishing trawler they were on capsized while en route from Libya to Italy.

Reporting by Karolina Tagaris and Renee Maltezou; Editing by Conor Humphries