Syrians, including toddler, drown trying to reach Greece Wednesday Sep 02,2015

 

At least 12 people fleeing the war in Syria drowned on Wednesday Sep 02,2015 trying to reach the Greek island of Kos.

The confirmed dead included five children and one woman.

A photograph of one of the victims — 3-year-old Aylan Kurdi — was widely publicized, renewing pressure on leaders over their handling of a growing migration crisis gripping Europe.

 

The boy, his 5-year-old brother Galip, and mother Rehan, 35, died when their boat capsized after leaving Turkey.

A relative said Thursday the family tried to emigrate to Canada from the war-torn town of Kobani, but their application was rejected in June 2015

At least 12 people believed to be Syrian refugees have drowned after two boats sank after leaving southwest Turkey for the Greek island of Kos
The two boats, carrying 23 people, had set off separately from the Akyarlar area of Turkey's Bodrum peninsula.
Seven people were rescued and two reached the shore in lifejackets.

Note
The United Nations refugee agency, the UNHCR, said four bodies had been pulled from the central Mediterranean on Tuesday and 781 refugees rescued, mostly from Nigeria, Ivory Coast and Senegal.
So far this year, more than 2,500 people have died trying to cross the Mediterranean, the UNHCR said.