24 Dead after Boat of Illegal Immigrants Sinks Off Turkey

Twenty-four people drowned on Thursday after a boat carrying illegal immigrants trying to reach Europe capsized in waters off western Turkey, the Anatolia news agency reported, citing a local official.

"The number of casualties recovered from the boat also carrying women and children rose to 24," said Ardahan Totuk, acting governor of Izmir province.

Another local official had initially put the toll at 20.

Forty-five people including two crew members were rescued alive, said Totuk, adding that the captain and his maid who were among the survivors were detained.

The boat hit the rocks after it took off from Ahmetbeyli on the western coast of Turkey close to Greek islands, Tahsin Kurtbeyoglu, a local official of the Menderes district in Izmir province, told the private NTV television.

The nationalities of the immigrants were not immediately available, he noted, but said most of them were from Arab countries. The NTV television said the survivors were from neighboring Iraq and Syria.

The boat's final destination is not known, nor the number of its passengers. Officials said the search and rescue operation was under way to find the missing crew.

Turkey has become a hub of illegal immigrants who aspire to cross into European countries for better lives.

Neighboring Greece is the busiest entry point for illegal immigrants trying to reach the European Union.