Seven migrants drowned in the Aegean Sea off the western coast of Turkey after falling overboard as the coast guard tried to stop them, the Bulgarian National Radio reported.
The migrants were part of a group of about 40 people who set off on an inflatable boat on Thursday evening in the area of the Turkish resort of Kusadasi. It is located opposite the Greek island of Samos, which is about 15 km away by water.
When the Turkish coast guard tried to intercept the migrants' boat, seven of the passengers fell into the water., and three bodies were found soon after. Four more bodies were found today. Another 18 adults and 13 minors were rescued and are unharmed, the Turkish coast guard said in a statement.
Shipwrecks are very common along the short but dangerous sea route between the Turkish coast and the nearby Greek islands of Samos, Rhodes and Lesbos, which are entry points to the European Union.
According to the International Organization for Migration, more than 2,300 migrants went missing or died in the Mediterranean last year.