At least 15 migrants have died after an overloaded speedboat carrying migrants collided with a Greek Hellenic Coast Guard patrol vessel in the Aegean Sea off Chios, triggering a capsizing and sinking.
The collision occurred late on 3 February near Mersinidi, off the eastern coast of Chios, close to the Turkish shoreline; the migrant boat was reportedly travelling without navigation lights and failed to heed visual and audible commands from the coast guard before turning toward the patrol vessel and crashing into its starboard side. The boat then capsized and sank
Rescue teams recovered 14 bodies from the sea – including men and women – while 25 migrants were pulled from the water and taken to hospital on Chios, many with serious injuries. One injured woman later died in hospital, raising the confirmed death toll to 15; two coast guard crew members also sustained injuries.
Among the survivors were children and pregnant women, with reports of miscarriages due to trauma. The number of passengers aboard the small speedboat remains unclear, as crews continue a search for any additional missing persons in the waters off Chios.
The Hellenic Coast Guard has launched an investigation into the incident; initial statements described the collision as a tragic outcome of non‑compliance by the migrant boat’s skipper.
