42 people have lost their lives earlier today, as two wooden boats filled with refugees sank in the waters of the Aegean Sea.
According to the Greek Coast Guard, 34 people, mostly women and children, died when their boat sank off of the Greek island Kalolimnos. It’s not yet clear how many people were initially on the boat but, 26 people had been rescued while 16 women, 11 children and seven men have died.
In a separate incident this morning, the coast guard said that another boat near sank, this time near the island of Farmakonissi. The boat had been carrying 49 passengers, eight of those people have been confirmed dead while 40 have been rescued.
According to the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, more than 1 million refugees crossed into Europe by land and sea in 2015.
Greece has been a popular port of entry with refugees fleeing from war-torn Syria. More than 3,600 people died or went missing making the dangerous journey in 2015.
