Twelve Migrants, Including Infant, Drown in Two Boat Accidents Off Greek Islands

Twelve migrants, including an infant, have died in two separate boat accidents off the Greek islands of Lesbos and Samos, as they attempted to cross the Aegean Sea from Turkey towards Europe.

The incidents occurred overnight into Monday, October 19, according to Greek authorities. Six people died in each accident, while survivors were rescued and two individuals were arrested on suspicion of involvement in migrant smuggling.

In the first incident near Agrilia, off Lesbos, a speedboat carrying migrants collided with a Greek coast guard vessel and overturned. The dead included four men, a woman and an infant. Eight survivors were rescued and taken to hospital, while a 37-year-old Turkish national was arrested on suspicion of operating the boat and smuggling migrants.

The second accident occurred north of Samos, where a speedboat carrying migrants from Turkey reportedly made a sudden manoeuvre and capsized while being pursued by the Greek coast guard. Five men and one woman died, while 14 survivors were initially reported rescued. An Iranian national among the survivors was arrested on suspicion of migrant smuggling.

Greek authorities said search-and-rescue operations were continuing, with reports indicating that additional passengers might still be missing. The precise circumstances surrounding both incidents remain under investigation.

Greece’s Minister for Maritime Affairs, Vassilis Kikilias, condemned the deaths and reiterated the government’s policy of zero tolerance towards migrant smugglers. Authorities have blamed trafficking networks for placing people in dangerous boats and exposing them to life-threatening crossings.

The tragedies highlight the dangers faced by migrants and refugees attempting to reach Europe by sea. The route from Turkey to Greece’s eastern islands remains a major passage into the European Union for people fleeing conflict, persecution and poverty in parts of the Middle East, Africa and Asia.

Although irregular migration crossings into the European Union have declined overall this year, the EU border agency Frontex has identified the eastern Mediterranean as its busiest migration route during the first nine months of 2026.

The investigation into the two accidents is continuing.