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Overcrowded dinghy in the Mediterranean: repeated serious accidents
Photo: Lena Klimkeit/ dpa
Four children and a woman died when a refugee boat sank in the Aegean on Sunday.
Winds of force six to seven prevailed at the time of the accident, authorities said.
Winds of this strength cause strong waves on the sea.
36 people could be rescued from the water or reach the coast of the Greek holiday island of Leros with their own strength.
Most of them come from African countries.
Again and again people try to get to Greece or even directly to southern Italy from the Turkish west coast and from countries in the Middle East.
The boats are usually overcrowded and in poor condition.
Serious accidents happen again and again.
Last year, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), 326 people drowned or went missing trying to cross over to Europe from Turkey or other countries in the eastern Mediterranean.
This means that the number of victims has almost tripled compared to 2021, according to UNHCR statistics.
In 2021, 115 people died or were missing.
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