At least 21 refugees drown in two accidents near Greek islands

Athens, 22 January 2016 (MIA) - Greek coast guard informed that at least 21 refugees have drowned in two separate accidents as boats carrying them from Turkey to smaller Greek islands overturned.

In the incident near Farmakonisi, a wooden boat with 48 people on board sunk early on Friday morning, killing at least 7 people. Fourteen were able to reach the shore. The other tragic accident happened near Kalymnos, where 14 bodies were found in the water after a wooden boat overturned. The coast guard saved 26 people, and they are no certain about the number that is missing.

This is the deadliest part of the Balkan refugee route, that takes mostly Syrian, Iraqi and Afghan refugees to Europe through Turkey and the Balkans. The route was reopened on Thursday afternoon, after it was shut down for two days, due to a stoppage of trains in Slovenia, that prompted all the other countries down to Greece to close their borders for refugees.