According to information provided to the AP, the sinking was preceded by a boat chase during which the coast guard tried to stop the migrant boat, which reportedly ignored repeated warnings. There were rough seas and the vessel eventually began to take on water.
Twenty-one people were rescued and the remains of 18 people have been recovered, the Turkish Coast Guard said on Wednesday. There is no information on where the migrants originally came from.
A helicopter participated in the rescue operation near the Greek island of Kos.
