53 die in Turkey shipwreck

At least 53 people drown when a boat carrying illegal migrants sank off Turkey's west coast in the Aegean Sea two days ago.

At least 53 people drowned when a boat carrying illegal migrants sank off Turkey's west coast in the Aegean Sea two days ago, the media reported on Tuesday.

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The 15-metre boat overloaded with migrants set off December 8 from the Sererihisar port in Turkey's western province of Izmir for Greece. The vessel ran into rough weather and capsized in the Aegean Sea, the national NTV channel reported.

Seven of the 85 people on board have been rescued and 25 were reported missing, officials said. Most passengers were of Palestinian, Somalian and Iraqi origin.

Turkey is one of the main transit countries for illegal migrants from the Middle East to Europe.