Boat carrying up to 60 refugees sinks in Lake Van
A boat that sank on Lake Van in eastern Turkey is believed to have been carrying up to 60 refugees and migrants when it went down in stormy weather, Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu said, according to Al Jazeera report.
Speaking to reporters in Van province on Wednesday, Soylu said authorities detained 11 people in connection with the incident, which the provincial governor's office said took place late on Saturday.
Search and rescue operations continue, he said, adding that six bodies have been recovered so far. He said a total of 11 other people had been detained in connection with the tragedy.
The source cited local officials saying multiple traffickers who claimed to be on the boat when it sank gave their testimonies to the local authorities.
According to them, the boat, which had a capacity of 20, was overloaded and sank after it travelled nearly 8km (5 miles) in lake waters.