5 dead as boat sinks off Turkey

At least five people, including a child, drowned on Friday after a boat carrying illegal immigrants trying to reach Greece capsized off western Turkey, the coastguard said. "Acting on a tip-off at 2:30 am (0030 GMT) the coastguard seized the boat and recovered five bodies," coastguard safety official Arslan Dede told AFP. Eight people were rescued and taken to a nearby hospital after the sinking in the Aegean Sea, he said, adding that a search was continuing for one missing person. The nationalities of those on the boat were not immediately known but media reports said they were believed to be Syrians. Turkey, which hosts about 600,000 Syrians who have fled the civil war in their country, has become a hub for illegal immigrants who aspire to reach Europe in the search for a better life. Source: AFP