Galery

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At least 266 illegal immigrants were rescued this morning in seven separate incidents near four islands in the southern Aegean Sea.

The Coast Guard rescued 46 illegal immigrants at sea east of Agathonisi island and took them to Samos island. The immigrants were retrieved from the sea in to which they had fallen after their inflatable boat became punctured.

The number of illegal immigrants rescued in three different incidents northeast of Kos island was 42, 24 and 25 respectively. In all three cases, they were sailing by inflatable boats.

In addition, the local authorities found this morning another 42 illegal immigrants near the power company on the island of Chios. A little earlier, the Coast Guard had detected the illegal immigrants at sea. They had arrived by inflatable boat at the area in question where they had disembarked.

Finally, in two separate incidents at sea off the island of Lesbos, 50 and 37 people respectively were taken out of the water. In the first case, the illegal immigrants were transferred to the town of Mytilene and in the second to Mythimna.