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Dozens Dead As Migrants' Boat Sinks Off Turkey


Chinese artist Ai Weiwei (R) helps an Afghan migrant as he arrives with other refugees and migrants on a raft on the Greek island of Lesbos on January 25.
Chinese artist Ai Weiwei (R) helps an Afghan migrant as he arrives with other refugees and migrants on a raft on the Greek island of Lesbos on January 25.

At least 39 migrants, including several children, have died when their boat sank off the Turkish coast as they were trying to make the treacherous crossing to Greece.

Turkish officials say they rescued 75 people from the January 30 wreck near the resort of Ayvacik, but fear other victims could be trapped inside the sunken vessel.

Ayvacik's mayor, Mehmet Unal Sahin, said most of the migrants were Syrians. Turkish media reported that the boat also carried migrants from Afghanistan and Myanmar.

The International Organization for Migration says more than 250 people have died so far in January trying to make the crossing. The agency says 805 died in all of 2015.

More than 1 million migrants made the journey by sea to Europe in 2015.

The migrants are mostly from war-torn Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan. There are some 2.5 million refugees from Syria currently in Turkey.

Based on reporting by AP, AFP, and the BBC

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