A boat carrying refugees between Turkey and Greece has capsized, killing 34 people. Of these, 11 were children and four were babies.
The boat, which was said to be overcrowded with Syrian refugees, capsized off the coast of the Greek island, Famakonski. The cause is believed to be high winds.
The disaster came just a day after two other boats carrying refugees capsized, resulting in the deaths of five people.
A coastguard managed to pluck 68 survivors from the water, and a further 29 managed to swim to safety.
The tragedy is believed to be the largest recorded death toll from any single accident in Greek waters since the refugee crisis in Europe began. The incident occurred as Athens furiously defended its handling of the mounting refugee crisis in Europe and appealed for more help.
Greece’s interim prime minister, Vasiliki Thanou, has called on the European Union to agree on a more comprehensive refugee policy. Thanou has described the crisis as a wider European and global problem.
Greece’s marine minister Christos Zois issued a statement to highlight the “daily superhuman struggle” of Greek coastguards to “save thousands of people” who are “victims of human smugglers”.
Despite almost daily tragedies that result from the exodus, refugees are not deterred from attempting to reach Greece’s eastern island in an attempt to escape the deadly situation in Syria. Most refugees who successfully reach Greece quickly head north to other countries, with Germany being the most favoured destination.
Germany’s government has said it has taken in too many refugees too fast, straining the country’s ability to provide accommodation, and it has implemented emergency border controls.
Figures from the UN’s refugee agency UNHCR calculate that over 380,000 migrants have arrived in Europe by sea this year.