Search and rescue efforts in Çanakkale boat tragedy enter 7th day!

Search and rescue efforts for the irregular migrants who went missing at sea after their rubber boat sank off the coast of the Eceabat district of Çanakkale are still continuing on the 7th day.

According to the statement made by the Çanakkale Governor's Office, search and rescue operations off the coast of Eceabat are being carried out under the coordination of the Coast Guard West Marmara Group Command.

The search and rescue efforts are being conducted in cooperation with teams from the gendarmerie, police, health services, AFAD, and the Port Authority.

The investigation launched by the Çanakkale Chief Public Prosecutor's Office regarding the sinking of the boat carrying irregular migrants continues under the charges of "migrant smuggling" and "homicide with possible intent."

Within the scope of the investigation, in which a suspect identified as A.T. was arrested based on the descriptions of 2 survivors, the prosecutor's office reached the information that there were 46 irregular migrants on the sunken rubber boat.

The bodies of 22 irregular migrants who lost their lives and whose identification processes are ongoing were sent to the Istanbul Forensic Medicine Institute for autopsy; it was stated that the treatment of 4 survivors is continuing.

It was recalled that the boat carrying irregular migrants sank off the coast of Eceabat on March 15, and that 2 survivors reached the Büyük Kemikli Coast by their own efforts and informed the authorities.

It was stated that during the search efforts in the region, 2 people were rescued by Coast Guard teams, and the bodies of a total of 22 people, 7 of whom were children, were recovered.

It was emphasized that 1 person caught by the gendarmerie on suspicion of migrant smuggling in connection with the incident has been arrested.