In brief
A speedboat carrying migrants collided with a Greek Coast Guard vessel off Chios, leading to the tragic deaths of 14 migrants. A pursuit was underway due to the speedboat's dangerous maneuvers. While 24 individuals were rescued, some remain missing, and the circumstances surrounding the incident are under investigation. The ongoing search and rescue efforts involve multiple coast guard vessels and a helicopter.
At least 14 migrants have died after a speedboat carrying them collided with a Hellenic Coast Guard vessel off the coast of the island of Chios late on Tuesday.
Greek authorities said the speedboat was making dangerous manoeuvres and that a pursuit was underway at the time of the collision in the Chios Strait, near the village of Vrontades.
Twenty-four people were rescued, some of whom were seriously injured, while others are reportedly still missing.
The coastguard has not yet clarified the exact circumstances surrounding the collision.
A search and rescue operation was ongoing on Tuesday night, involving four coastguard vessels, a privately owned boat with civilian divers, and a helicopter.
Greek state broadcaster ERT reported that among the injured were seven children, a pregnant woman, and two coastguard officers.
Initially, four deaths were reported; however, an update issued at 23:00 local time (21:00 GMT) indicated that an additional ten bodies had been recovered, bringing the confirmed death toll to 14.
