At least 14 people were killed after a Greek coast guard vessel and a boat carrying migrants collided off the Aegean island of Chios near Turkey, Greek authorities said. The crash set off an extensive search-and-rescue effort in the busy sea corridor between the two countries.
The collision involved a port police patrol craft and what authorities described as a high-speed small boat transporting migrants. The Greek coast guard said two of its members were taken to a hospital, and 24 migrants were rescued from the water.
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Greek media reported that seven children and a pregnant woman were among the injured survivors. A Greek air force helicopter joined the ongoing search operation for additional victims or survivors, the state broadcaster ERT reported.
The incident occurred near one of the most heavily traveled maritime routes into the European Union, where short but perilous crossings from Turkey to Greek islands have persisted for years. Smugglers often launch overcrowded, unseaworthy vessels at night to avoid detection, leaving passengers at grave risk of capsizing or collision.
Chios, along with other eastern Aegean islands such as Lesbos and Samos, has repeatedly been on the front line of migration to Europe. The narrow sea passage, choppy weather and heavy commercial and patrol traffic make the area dangerous for small, overloaded craft.
Authorities did not immediately provide further details on what led to the collision or the nationalities of those on board the migrant boat. The condition of the hospitalized coast guard personnel was not disclosed.
Migrant deaths in the region remain stubbornly high. The U.N. refugee agency said in November that more than 1,700 people died or went missing in 2025 on migration routes to Europe in the Mediterranean and in the Atlantic off West Africa. The International Organization for Migration estimates that about 33,000 migrants have died or disappeared in the Mediterranean since 2014.
Despite stepped-up patrols and coordinated efforts between Greece, the EU and Turkey, fatal incidents continue to punctuate the migration flow. Advocates say safer legal pathways and faster asylum processing could reduce reliance on smugglers, while authorities stress the need for more surveillance and targeted crackdowns on trafficking networks.
In the aftermath of the Chios crash, Greek search teams kept combing the area as daylight improved visibility, looking for any sign of those still unaccounted for. Weather and sea conditions were not immediately cited as factors.
The Aegean collision underscores how quickly routine patrols and risky passages can turn deadly in one of the world’s most scrutinized migration corridors. As recovery operations continue, the death toll could rise.
By Abdiwahab Ahmed
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
