At least 33 refugees drown off Turkish coast
Deaths come as Turkish and German officials hold talks to stem the flow of refugees.
08 Feb 2016 14:13 GMT
At least 33 refugees drowned off Turkey's Aegean coast as they tried to reach a Greek island, and a search and rescue operation was under way for the remaining passengers.
Turkey's private Dogan News Agency, which reported the 33 deaths on Monday, said that one boat set sail from Turkey's Edremit coastal district and the other from the town of Dikili, further south.
Both were headed for the Greek island of Lesbos, just a few kilometres away.
More than 900,000 people fleeing Syria, Afghanistan and other war-torn or impoverished countries arrived in Greece from Turkey last year, often risking their lives in the short but perilous sea crossing in overloaded boats.
Last month marked the deadliest January on record for refugees trying to reach Europe, as more than 250 died while making the journey.
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/02/33-refugees-drown-turkish-coast-160208130920304.html