Three Dead, Five Rescued After Migrant Boat Incident Off Samos

ATHENS, Greece — The Greek coast guard reported that three people died and five were rescued after a migrant boat encountered trouble off the coast of Samos, an island in the eastern Aegean Sea.

The coast guard, speaking on Monday, stated that the exact number of individuals on board the vessel, believed to be a dinghy, and the specifics of the incident are not yet known.

An extensive search and rescue operation is currently underway in the waters northwest of Samos, involving three coast guard patrol boats, a private vessel, an air force helicopter, and rescue crews searching the shoreline for potential survivors.

Details regarding the identities or nationalities of those rescued or the three recovered bodies have not been released.

Greece serves as a major entry point into the European Union for individuals seeking refuge from conflict and poverty in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia. Despite the Greek authorities’ efforts to tighten border security along the Turkish border, thousands of people continue to make the journey, often traversing from the Turkish coast to nearby Greek islands in precarious inflatable dinghies.