SW News: Two separate boat tragedies off Greece's coast involving migrants have left scores dead and many missing in the Aegean Sea.

In the first incident, a dinghy carrying migrants capsized near the island of Lesbos on Wednesday leaving at least 15 people dead. Survivors told the Greek Maritime Authorities that about 40 people were on board when the vessel began to sink. The BBC reported that the victims were, reportedly, young African women.

In the second incident, at least 80 people were rescued off the island of Kythira in southern Greece after another boat crashed onto the rocks. A coastguard video showed a group of people trapped beneath a cliff as rescuers pulled them to safety. Naval divers are also combing the sea for any bodies. The survivors were mostly from Iran and Afghanistan and both vessels were coming from Turkey. Lesbos lies east of the Greek mainland and is around 20km from Turkey's coastline.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) in its report has stated that since January 2022, 64 people have died trying to cross into Europe from Turkey. On the other hand, the number stood at 111 last year. Over the past few years, the number of illegal migrants from Africa and the Middle East trying to sneak into Europe through Greece is on the rise.

The deadly incidents have intensified tensions between Greece and Turkey, who have been locked for years in an argument over migration and the demarcation of territorial waters. In September, Turkey accused its neighbor after six migrants, including four children, perished in the Aegean Sea. Their boat capsized after they were forced to return to the sea by the Greek coast guard, said Turkey. The intervention of the Turkish coast guard saved the lives of 15 migrants.