Six migrants, including infant, killed in speedboat, Greek coast guard vessel crash near Lesbos

Six migrants, including an infant, died after a speedboat carrying people from Turkey collided with a Greek coast guard vessel and overturned off Lesbos early Monday. Greek authorities recovered four men, one woman and one infant. Eight survivors were hospitalized. A 37-year-old Turkish national was arrested as the suspected smuggler. Shipping Minister Vassilis Kikilias blamed traffickers and vowed zero tolerance.

Six migrants, including an infant, died early Monday after a speedboat carrying people from Turkey collided with a Greek coast guard vessel and overturned off the island of Lesbos. Greek authorities said the accident occurred about 3.5 nautical miles south of Agrilia. Rescuers recovered the bodies of four men, one woman and an infant. Eight people survived and were taken to hospital. A 37-year-old Turkish national among the survivors was arrested and identified as the suspected smuggler and operator of the boat. Shipping Minister Vassilis Kikilias blamed migrant traffickers for the deaths, stating that evidence so far indicated the speedboat struck the left side of a coast guard vessel with its bow. He wrote on X/Twitter that the tragedy fills Greece with sorrow and rage, and vowed "zero tolerance" for smugglers, calling them ruthless criminals. Greece has long been a gateway to Europe for migrants and refugees from the Middle East, Africa and Asia, and was at the frontline of Europe's migration crisis in 2015-16 when nearly 1 million people landed on its islands.