At least 14 dead as migrant dinghy sinks off Bodrum in the Aegean Sea

At least 14 people died after a rubber dinghy carrying migrants sank in the Aegean Sea off Turkey’s southwestern coast early Friday, the Mugla provincial governor’s office said. The boat, carrying 18 people, sank shortly after departing from the Bodrum area, a popular tourist district, leaving two survivors and two people still unaccounted for as authorities mount an ongoing search and rescue operation.

Regional officials said an Afghan man who survived the incident swam back to the mainland and alerted emergency services shortly after 1 a.m. A second survivor was later found on Celebi Island near Bodrum. The governor’s office said the dinghy began taking on water soon after it left shore. Rescue teams recovered 14 bodies from the sea and deployed four coast guard vessels, a coast guard special diving team and a helicopter to search for the missing passengers.

It was not immediately clear whether those on board were attempting to reach a specific Greek island. The short sea crossing from Turkey to nearby islands such as Kos, Samos, Lesbos and Rhodes is a common route for people seeking entry into the European Union, and is frequently attempted in small inflatable boats and...