A total of twelve people, among them an infant, lost their lives on Monday in two incidents with migrants boats in the eastern Aegean Sea. There is information of missing persons.
The one incident took place off the island of Lesvos where a Greek Coast Guard patrol boat collided with the migrants boat doing dangerous maneuvers.
The second incident occurred of the island of Samos.
Lesvos
Six foreign nationals, including an infant, have been found dead at sea south of Agrielia, on the island of Lesvos, following a collision between a speedboat carrying foreign nationals and a Hellenic Coast Guard patrol vessel.
According to the Hellenic Coast Guard, the incident occurred during a pursuit, when the speedboat made maneuvers in an attempt to escape and collided with the patrol vessel on its port side, striking it with its bow.
Several people on board the speedboat are believed to have fallen into the sea as a result of the collision, while eight others were rescued.
The incident occurred 3.5 nautical miles south of Agrielia, Lesvos.
A search and rescue operation was immediately launched under the coordination of the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre. During the operation, eight people were rescued: four men, two women and two children.
Six other foreign nationals were found dead in the sea: four men, one woman and an infant.
The eight survivors were taken to the port of Mytilene and then transferred to Mytilene General Hospital for medical treatment.
According to statements made by the survivors to the Coast Guard authorities, no one is missing.
Meanwhile, as part of the preliminary investigation, a 37-year-old Turkish national, who was among those rescued and is suspected of acting as a smuggler for the other foreign nationals, was identified and arrested.
Samos
Six people have died and 14 have been rescued after a speedboat carrying foreign nationals capsized in waters 3.7 nautical miles north of Samos on Monday.
According to the Hellenic Coast Guard, the speedboat, which was traveling at high speed, was initially spotted by a Turkish coastguard vessel in Turkish territorial waters and was subsequently detected by a Hellenic Coast Guard patrol boat in Greek territorial waters.
The boat capsized following a sharp maneuver.
A rescue operation coordinated by the Joint Rescue Coordination Center was launched as the rescued people reported of 2 to 3 missing persons.
So far, 14 foreign nationals have been rescued among them one person rescued from the sea.
Four of the rescued are being hospitalized and treated for hypothermia.
Picket protest on Samos
According to local media samos24.gr, locals are organizing and calling for a picket protest for both the tragedies on Lesvos and Samos at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, in Vathy.
In a statement, organizers sharply criticize the Greek and the European anti-Migration policies and speak of “yet another crime against uprooted people.”