Enroute to Europe
The boat had a capacity of 20, carrying 55-60 migrants and sank after travelled nearly 8km in lake waters
TLTP
ISTANBUL
A boat that sank on Lake Van in eastern Turkey is believed to have been carrying 55-60 migrants, Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu said on Wednesday, adding that six bodies had been recovered so far.
Speaking to reporters in Van province, Soylu said authorities had detained 11 people in relation to the incident, which the provincial governor’s office said took place late on Saturday. Search and rescue operations continued, Soylu said.
The lake is near the border with Iran, from where migrants regularly cross into Turkey, heading west toward Europe. The lake, which completely within Turkey’s borders, is located on the path of migrants attempting to reach western Turkey from Iran, Afghanistan and other countries.
Seven people died and 64 were rescued when a boat carrying migrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan sank on Lake Van in December.
