7 migrants die as boat sinks in a Turkey lake
One Bangladeshi could be among them; 64 rescued
At least seven people died after a boat carrying migrants capsized in Turkey’s Lake Van yesterday and one of the dead is believed to be a Bangladeshi.
Bangladesh mission there was verifying if there were any Bangladeshi victims, among the dead and the 64 rescued alive.
An official at the Bangladesh embassy in Ankara said they had information that one Bangladeshi was among the dead and another one survived. A Turkish government agency told the embassy that there was a Bangladeshi among the deceased but did not provide details, the official told this newspaper over phone.
“We have asked [Turkish government agency] to provide us with details of the deceased,” said the official, seeking anonymity.
The boat carrying migrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan sank on Thursday around 3:00am local time, Reuters reported, quoting the governor’s office in Bitlis province.
The boat sank as it approached Adilcevaz district in Bitlis, which is on the northern shores of Lake Van, the office said in a statement.
The lake is near the border with Iran, from where migrants regularly cross into Turkey, heading west towards Europe, it adds.
It was not clear why the migrants were on the boat in Lake Van, which is completely within Turkey’s borders.
Five people were found dead at the scene and two died in hospital, while the 64 people rescued were taken to nearby hospitals and shelters, the governor’s office said.
It said gendarmerie forces, emergency response teams and police divers were conducting search operations.