ISTANBUL, Sept. 30 (Xinhua) -- At least five illegal migrants died when a boat sank off Turkey's Aegean coast on Sunday, local media reported.
According to the NTV broadcaster, the inflatable boat carrying refugees toward a Greek island overturned near the Enez district in the northwestern province of Edirne.
The cause of the incident was not immediately clear, NTV said, adding the rescue operation was still continuing upon the possibility of more people being trapped in the sea.
The Aegean Sea was a main route for migrants fleeing into Europe via Turkey. A deal signed between Turkey and the European Union in March 2016 has reduced the flow of illegal migration.
The Turkish coast guard has reported 19,437 irregular migrants this year, in contrast to 15,469 over the same period in 2017.
