ISTANBUL: Three people died and four were missing after a migrant boat got into trouble Thursday in the Aegean Sea, the Turkish coastguard said.
Another 38 people were rescued when the inflatable rubber boat started taking on water off the coast near the western resort of Izmir, a coastguard statement said.
The accident struck off the coast of Foca, around 30 kilometres from the Greek island of Lesbos, a common entry point for migrants seeking to reach the European Union.
"Search operations are ongoing to find the four irregular migrants who are missing," the coastguard said, adding it had deployed several vessels and helicopters.
At least 524 migrants have been killed or gone missing in the Mediterranean since the start of the year, according to the UN migration agency.
Last year, it recorded 1,873 missing or dead migrants who attempted the dangerous crossing. - AFP
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