Greek Coast Guard rescues 51 refugees off Lesvos coasts, one teenager missing
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E-mail Xinhua, February 14, 2019
ATHENS, Feb. 13 (Xinhua) -- Greek Coast Guard rescued on Wednesday 51 refugees and migrants off the northeastern coasts of Lesvos island, while a 15-year old girl was missing, Greek national news agency AMNA reported.
The boat had left Turkey's shores carrying 52 people of different nationalities when it capsized as strong winds of 9 on the Beaufort scale were blowing in the area.
The search and rescue operation was reportedly hampered by severe winds in the area.
A rescue operation to locate the missing teenager was underway.
According to the latest official data from the Greek Coast Guard, over 2,000 people landed on the shores of the Greek islands in the Aegean Sea during January this year.
More than one million people reached Greece since 2015 seeking refuge to Europe from warzones and extreme poverty. Hundreds perished at the sea.
Most continued the perilous journey to central and northern Europe until the closure of borders along the Balkan route in 2016.
Although the numbers of new arrivals have dropped since then, still thousands of people risk their lives to cross into Europe.
About 60,000 refugees and migrants are stranded in Greece in the past two years, according to Greek migration policy ministry data. Enditem
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