The collision between a Greek patrol vessel and a migrant boat occurred on 3/2 off the island of Chios, near the Turkish coast. This area is a common destination for asylum seekers attempting to reach Europe.

Greek Migration Minister Thanos Plevris called the incident, which claimed 15 lives, a "tragic event". He attributed blame to human traffickers, stating they were responsible for attempting to bring migrants to Chios island, which led to the incident.

The Hellenic Coast Guard reported that the migrant boat was traveling at "high speed" without navigation lights. It also failed to comply with signals to stop, including horns and lights, emitted by the patrol vessel.

"Instead of complying, the boat's operator turned, and the vessel collided with the starboard side of the coast guard patrol boat. The impact caused the boat to capsize and sink," the statement added.

Ambulances stand by at the port on Chios island after the collision on 4/2. *Photo: AFP*.

Greek authorities recovered 14 bodies from the sea. A woman from the boat later died due to severe injuries. Among the 25 survivors taken to the hospital were 11 children, all identified as Afghan nationals. Two coast guard members also sustained injuries in the collision.

Officials are still unsure of the total number of people aboard the sunken boat and are continuing search operations for additional victims.

Many migrants attempt to cross the Mediterranean to reach Europe on old, unsafe boats. According to the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR), over 1,700 people died or went missing last year on migration routes to Europe across the Mediterranean and the Atlantic off West Africa.

Since 2014, approximately 33,000 migrants have died or gone missing in the Mediterranean, as reported by the International Organization for Migration.

Ngoc Anh (According to AFP, Yahoo News)