At least 15 migrants died when their boat sank off the coast of Greece

The Greek coast guard said that 15 migrants were killed and others missing after their boat sank near the Greek island of Lesbos.

At least 15 people were killed and several others missing when a migrant boat sank off the Greek island of Lesbos (Medelli), the Greek coast guard announced Thursday.

The coast guard said in a statement that the bodies of 15 people were found near the island after a boat carrying about forty people sank, which was pushed by strong winds that blew over the area.

Hours earlier, authorities reported that a second sailing boat, apparently carrying 95 people, sank near the island of Citera.

The boat sank near the port of Diakofti, and some survivors managed to swim ashore, while a joint operation of ships at sea, fire services and police on the beach allowed eighty people to be recovered.

No details were revealed about the nationalities of the victims.

The coast guard said the wind speed in the Citera area was 102 km per hour.

The Greek coast guard also announced the rescue of 30 migrants whose boat sank after it hit a rocky area in stormy waters near the island of Kythira on Wednesday.

In addition to the dangers of their journey, the migrants are subjected to ill-treatment by the Greek security forces, as most of them are beaten and pushed into the sea without a life jacket, and their valuables were confiscated, according to reports by human rights NGOs and testimonies of migrants rescued by the Turkish Coast Guard teams.