Greek authorities say 14 people were killed when a coast guard patrol vessel collided with a small high-speed boat carrying migrants in the Aegean Sea off the island of Chios, near the Turkish coast.
The coast guard said 24 migrants were rescued from the water and two members of the patrol crew were taken to a hospital. A search-and-rescue operation, including a Greek air force helicopter, continued into the evening as officials looked for additional survivors.
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A coast guard official said the collision involved a port police patrol vessel and a “high-speed” small boat. Authorities did not immediately release details about the circumstances of the crash, the identities or nationalities of the victims, or the precise time of the incident.
Public broadcaster ERT reported that the patrol signaled the migrant boat after spotting it, and that the smaller craft attempted to flee before the collision. That account could not be independently confirmed.
Chios sits a few miles from Turkey and lies along one of the most frequently used maritime routes for people attempting to reach the European Union by crossing the Aegean. The passages, often undertaken at night in overloaded or unseaworthy vessels, remain perilous despite stepped-up patrols and repeated warnings from authorities.
Deaths at sea have persisted even as overall arrivals to parts of the eastern Mediterranean have fluctuated. The U.N. refugee agency said in November that more than 1,700 people died or were reported missing in 2025 on migration routes to Europe in the Mediterranean and in the Atlantic off West Africa. The International Organization for Migration estimates about 33,000 people have died or gone missing in the Mediterranean since 2014.
Greek officials offered no immediate comment on what led to Tuesday’s collision or whether the patrol craft had been engaged in a pursuit. Investigations typically follow fatal maritime incidents in Greek waters, focusing on navigation, communication and compliance with protocols meant to prevent collisions in congested or contested sea lanes.
The Aegean has long been a flashpoint of migration pressures and complex policing, with the narrow straits between Turkey and several Greek islands — including Lesbos, Samos and Chios — drawing both smugglers and border authorities. As rescue teams continued combing the waters off Chios, questions mounted over the conditions of the crossing and the moments before impact that left at least 14 people dead.
Authorities urged caution as the search continued, noting that casualty figures and other details could change as more information becomes available.
By Abdiwahab Ahmed
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
