16 young African women and a man tragically died in the Aegean Sea, according to the latest reports, when their sea vessel shipwrecked in the Petalidi marine area of ​​Thermi in eastern Lesvos, while 9 more were rescued and taken to the hospital in Lesvos.

The boat sank in the early hours of Thursday (6/10 ) in the “Provoskida” sea area east of the island, while at the same time a search and rescue operation by the Coast Guard is underway, in Kythira after the sinking of a sailboat with illegal immigrants with the latest information revealing two bodies in an inaccessible area.

In total, there were about 40 people on board the boat in Lesvos, according to the statement of its occupants. At 8 am on Thursday and while the bodies of the dead women are being transferred to the morgue, the Coast Guard, the Greek Police, the Fire Brigade, and the Army with the help of a Super Puma helicopter of the Air Force are carrying out search and rescue operations in the area looking for at least 15 more missing persons.

The boat with the migrants, as estimated, left late on Wednesday night from the area of ​​Ayasmat near Ayvali in Turkey, under particularly unfavourable conditions as in the sea strait between Lesvos and Asia Minor coasts intense winds between seven and locally eight Beaufort were blowing and continue to blow.