A boat carrying migrants capsized in a lake in eastern Turkey on Thursday, killing seven people on board, officials said. Rescue workers managed to save at least 64 people.
The boat sank in Lake Van as it approached the town of Adilcevaz in Bitlis province, the provincial governor’s office said in a statement. It was carrying migrants from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh.
Those rescued told authorities an estimated 100 people were on board.
Five of the migrants were found dead in the lake while two others died in a hospital, the statement said.
Turkey is the main crossing point for migrants trying to reach Europe.
Mayor of the Adilcevaz district of Bitlis, who arrived at the scene shortly after the accident, said it was "horrible".
"These people risk everything and travel for thousands of kilometres to get here from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh," Turkish daily newspaper Daily Sabah quoted him telling reporters.
"They travel into the unknown in pursuit of salvation. It is really tragic."
It was not immediately clear why the migrants were travelling on a boat and not by road, although extra security checks have been put in place on the western shore of the lake in recent months.
Turkish security officials have upped patrols on roads leading to the lake in an attempt to clamp down on human traffickers. The lake is close to Iran but lies within Turkey’s borders.
The statement said the rescued migrants were taken to the hospital and shelters around Bitlis.
Gendarmerie forces, emergency teams and divers were pressing ahead with search-and-rescue operations, the statement said, adding that authorities had launched a formal investigation into the incident.
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Consoles: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4&5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S
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The biog
Age: 30
Position: Senior lab superintendent at Emirates Global Aluminium
Education: Bachelor of science in chemical engineering, post graduate degree in light metal reduction technology
Favourite part of job: The challenge, because it is challenging
Favourite quote: “Be the change you wish to see in the world,” Gandi
The specs: 2019 Haval H6
Price, base: Dh69,900
Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 197hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque: 315Nm @ 2,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 7.0L / 100km
if you go
The flights
Fly direct to Kutaisi with Flydubai from Dh925 return, including taxes. The flight takes 3.5 hours. From there, Svaneti is a four-hour drive. The driving time from Tbilisi is eight hours.
The trip
The cost of the Svaneti trip is US$2,000 (Dh7,345) for 10 days, including food, guiding, accommodation and transfers from and to Tbilisi or Kutaisi. This summer the TCT is also offering a 5-day hike in Armenia for $1,200 (Dh4,407) per person. For further information, visit www.transcaucasiantrail.org/en/hike/
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Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
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How much sugar is in chocolate Easter eggs?
- The 169g Crunchie egg has 15.9g of sugar per 25g serving, working out at around 107g of sugar per egg
- The 190g Maltesers Teasers egg contains 58g of sugar per 100g for the egg and 19.6g of sugar in each of the two Teasers bars that come with it
- The 188g Smarties egg has 113g of sugar per egg and 22.8g in the tube of Smarties it contains
- The Milky Bar white chocolate Egg Hunt Pack contains eight eggs at 7.7g of sugar per egg
- The Cadbury Creme Egg contains 26g of sugar per 40g egg
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