ISTANBUL, May 7 (Xinhua) -- One undocumented migrant died and 43 others were rescued after a rubber boat began sinking off Türkiye's western coast in the Aegean Sea, the Turkish Coast Guard said Thursday.
The incident occurred off the coast of the Foca district in Izmir province after authorities received reports that a boat carrying irregular migrants was in danger of sinking, according to an official statement.
The coast guard dispatched a vessel, four patrol boats, and a helicopter to the scene. Rescue teams saved 39 migrants from the partially submerged boat and four others from the sea, while recovering the body of one migrant, the statement said.
Authorities also detained one suspected migrant smuggler in connection with the incident.
Türkiye remains a key transit route for migrants attempting to cross the Aegean Sea into Europe. According to Turkish Coast Guard data, 2,387 irregular migrants had been intercepted while trying to cross from Turkish waters to Europe as of May 7 this year. A total of 41 migrants have died in related incidents during the same period. ■