12 killed in 2 migrant boat accidents off Greek islands

Six people died and 14 others were rescued after a speedboat carrying migrants capsized off the Greek island of Samos on Monday, hours after a separate collision between a migrant speedboat and a Greek coast guard patrol vessel off Lesvos left six people dead, Greek authorities said, reported Xinhua.

The boat capsized during manoeuvres about 3.7 nautical miles north of Samos, according to local media reports. A search-and-rescue operation was underway, involving a navy vessel, a coast guard rescue boat and an air force helicopter.

In a separate incident off Lesvos, another eastern Aegean island, six people -- four men, a woman and an infant -- died when a speedboat carrying migrants collided with a Greek coast guard patrol vessel in the early hours of Monday.

Authorities said the migrant boat had made dangerous manoeuvres to evade a coast guard inspection before the collision. Eight survivors -- four men, two women and two children -- were rescued and taken to hospital for treatment.

The boat's 37-year-old Turkish operator was arrested on suspicion of people smuggling.

Greek Minister of Maritime Affairs and Insular Policy Vassilis Kikilias expressed grief and anger over the deaths off Lesvos. He reiterated the government's zero-tolerance policy towards people smugglers, describing them as criminals who endanger the lives of desperate people for profit.

Greece, located at the southeastern edge of Europe, remains a major entry point for migrants and refugees attempting to reach the European Union by sea.