Nine Palestinians drown on voyage from Lebanon to Turkey

Nine Palestinians drown on voyage from Lebanon to Turkey
A boat carrying 40 Palestinian refugees from Syria travelling from Lebanon to Turkey capsized on Wednesday, drowning nine.
1 min read
19 August, 2015
The IOM estimates almost 2,350 people have died crossing the Mediterranean Sea this year [Getty]
A boat carrying about 40 Palestinians from a refugee camp in Syria capsized en route to Turkey drowning at least nine, Lebanon's state-run National News Agency said on Wednesday.

The agency said the vessel left the northern Lebanese port of Tripoli on Monday and capsized after entering Turkish territorial waters. It said those on board were Palestinians from the Yarmouk refugee camp in Damascus who had taken refuge in northern Lebanon and Tripoli.

Women and children were among the dead, the agency reported. It said survivors were taken to hospitals in Turkey.

The UN said about 264,500 people have crossed the Mediterranean Sea so far this year trying to reach Europe. That compares with 219,000 for all of 2014, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

The IOM estimates almost 2,350 people have died this year on those sea journeys.