Collision between Greek Coast Guard vessel, migrant boat kills at least 14

"A boat carrying migrants has collided with a Greek Coast Guard vessel in the Aegean Sea near the island of Chios, killing at least 14 people, the Coast Guard says. The incident occurred around 9pm local time on Tuesday (19:00 GMT) off the coast of Chios's Mersinidi area, Greece's Athens-Macedonian News Agency (AMNA) reported. list of 3 itemsend of list The Coast Guard said 26 people were rescued and brought to a hospital in Chios, including 24 migrants and two Coast Guard officers."

"It said it was not immediately clear how many others had been on the speedboat. Seven children and a pregnant woman were among the injured, Greek media reported. A search-and-rescue operation involving patrol boats, a helicopter and divers was under way in the area, AMNA said. Footage shared by Greece's Ta Nea newspaper appeared to show at least one person being brought from a boat docked next to a jetty into a vehicle with blue flashing lights."

"An unnamed Coast Guard official told the Reuters news agency that the collision occurred after the migrant boat manoeuvred toward a Coast Guard vessel that had instructed it to turn back. Greece has long been a key transit point for migrants and refugees from the Middle East, Africa and Asia trying to reach Europe. In 2015 and 2016, Greece was on the frontline of a migration crisis as nearly one million people landed on its islands, including Chios, from nearby Turkiye."

A boat carrying migrants collided with a Greek Coast Guard vessel near Chios, killing at least 14 people. The collision occurred around 9pm local time off Chios's Mersinidi area. The Coast Guard rescued 26 people, including 24 migrants and two officers, who were taken to a hospital in Chios. Seven children and a pregnant woman were among the injured. A search-and-rescue operation with patrol boats, a helicopter and divers was under way. An unnamed official said the collision followed the migrant boat manoeuvring toward a Coast Guard vessel that had instructed it to turn back. Greece remains a major transit point for migrants to Europe and has tightened migration policies since 2015–2016, while facing scrutiny over treatment of sea arrivals.

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