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6 refugees drown after boat capsizes in Aegean

Xinhua, December 8, 2015 Adjust font size:

At least six refugees drowned early Tuesday when their boat capsized in the Aegean Sea while attempting to reach a Greek island, Turkish media reported.

The ill-fated boaters, seeking better lives in Europe, departed from Cesme in Turkey's Aegean province of Izmir, the Dogan News Agency said.

The Turkish coastguards rescued eight asylum seekers who were found with their life jackets on the surface of the sea, the agency said.

It is still not clear how many refugees were on the boat, as rescue operations are continuing.

About 400,000 refugees have illegally entered Greece via Turkey in 2015, but more than 3,000 of them, mostly Syrians, have lost their lives in boat accidents across the Aegean. Endit