Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Refugee boat collides with rescue vessel off Greek coast, eight missing

Around 30 people were rescued from the wooden boat as it attempted to reach the Aegean island of Lesbos

Agency Staff
Thursday 15 October 2015 10:57 BST
Comments
The Greek island of Lesbos is one of the main arrival points for many refugees
The Greek island of Lesbos is one of the main arrival points for many refugees (AFP)

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Greece's coast guard says eight people are missing after a wooden boat carrying migrants or refugees attempting to reach the eastern Aegean island of Lesbos sank after colliding with a patrol boat during a rescue operation on Thursday.

The coast guard says 31 people on board were rescued, and the survivors reported eight people were missing. The incident occurred half a nautical mile north of Lesbos, the island that has been the entry point of the majority of those making the journey from the nearby Turkish coast.

Hundreds of thousands of people fleeing war or poverty have made the trip from Turkey to Greece so far this year. The vast majority head north to more prosperous European Union countries, and the sharp increase arrivals has triggered an EU crisis.

This story will be updated shortly.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in