An official leading rescue efforts on the Greek island of Lesbos has warned the death toll in the eastern Aegean Sea is likely to rise in the coming days unless urgent action is taken to stop smugglers in nearby Turkey.
Lt. Cdr. Antonios Sofiadelis told The Associated Press that smugglers were using increasingly dangerous tactics to take refugees to Greece.
His warning Saturday came after more than 60 people, half of them children, died in the past four days while trying to reach Lesbos and other Greek islands from the Turkish coast.
Greece has seen a surge of arrivals in recent weeks. Police said 7,200 people had crossed the Greek-Macedonian border in the last 24-hours, more than double the recent daily average.
Copyright AP - Associated Press
