At least 15 people died this Tuesday when the boat they were traveling in collided with a Coast Guard patrol boat during a chase off the coast. greek island of chiosin the eastern Aegean.
Others 24 people were taken to hospital of the island, a coast guard spokeswoman told Efe, who clarified that not everyone necessarily needs medical attention.
The crash occurred when the patrolman He located and pursued a boat that was rapidly approaching the coast of the island to disembark the immigrants, the newspaper reported. Kathimerini.
The collision of the two boats caused an as yet undetermined number of people to fall into the sea.
Four Coast Guard cutters, a private boat with divers and a helicopter They have started a search and rescue operation in the area.
So far the authorities They cannot confirm exactly how many people were on board the vessel..
Two coast guard officers were also injured and taken to Chios hospital.
A senior official from the Ministry of Maritime Transport, to which the coast guard depends, told the newspaper Kathimerini that during the chase The boat with the immigrants tried to ram the patrol boat.
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