ATHENS (Reuters) – Six people were found drowned in the area of Lesbos island close to Turkey and a search and rescue operation was ongoing, Greece’s coastguard said on Tuesday.
“Four were found on the coast and two in the sea without life vests, three men and three women, most likely migrants,” a coast guard official said.
Three coastguard vessels and a helicopter were conducting a search and rescue operation. The bodies were taken to hospital for a post-mortem examination.
Greece is the main route into the European Union for asylum-seekers arriving from Turkey. The number of arrivals has fallen sharply since 2016 after the EU and Ankara agreed a deal to stop migrants from crossing to Greece.
(Reporting by George Georgiopoulos; Editing by Kenneth Maxwell)