A refugee boat capsized in the Aegean Sea while crossing to Europe.
According to the Greek government, four children died and one person is missing.
Munich / Athens - In a storm off the Greek coast, a boat of refugees got into distress - four children died, another person is missing.
"Despite the best efforts of the Greek Coast Guard, the death of four children between the ages of three and 14 has been tragically confirmed," said Greek Migration Minister Notis Mitarachi on Twitter.
The tragedy is not an isolated incident, as figures from the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) show: In the past year, more than 100 people died while crossing refugee boats.
Refugees off the Greek coast in distress: four children died, one person went missing
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learned from the Greek authorities that the coast guard rescued 22 people.
Among the saved are 14 men, seven women and one child.
In rough seas off the island of Chios, coast guard patrol boats, a NATO ship, nearby ships, fishing boats and two helicopters took part.
Any help came too late for the four children.
After the tragedy in the Mediterranean: Greece blames Turkey
For the Greek government, the culprit for the tragedy is clear: Turkey must prevent people smugglers from sending boats from the Turkish coast and putting the lives of refugees at risk.
"The Turkish authorities must do more to prevent the exploitation by criminal gangs," said Mitarachi.
"Unscrupulous smugglers risk their lives with overcrowded, unseaworthy boats off Chios."
According to the UN refugee agency UNHCR, more than 2500 people crossed the eastern Mediterranean from Turkey this year.
The route is one of the most dangerous in the world; there is no state-organized sea rescue.
It is above all civil sea rescuers who save people in need from drowning.
