Six migrants, including infant, killed in speedboat, Greek coast guard vessel crash near Lesbos

Greece's shipping minister Vassilis Kikilias blamed migrant traffickers for the deaths and said evidence so far indicated the speedboat struck the left side of a coast guard vessel with its bow.

Six migrants, including an infant, died after a speedboat carrying people from Turkey collided with a Greek coast guard vessel before overturning off the island of Lesbos early on Monday, Greek authorities said, as the government vowed "zero tolerance" towards migrant smugglers.

The accident occurred about 3.5 nautical miles south of Agrilia, Lesbos. The coast guard said rescuers recovered the bodies of four men, one woman and an infant, while eight people survived and were taken to hospital.

Authorities arrested a 37-year-old Turkish national who was among the survivors and identified him as the suspected smuggler and operator of the boat.

Greece's shipping minister Vassilis Kikilias blamed migrant traffickers for the deaths and said evidence so far indicated the speedboat struck the left side of a coast guard vessel with its bow, adding that the exact circumstances were under investigation.

Zero tolerance for smugglers

"The tragedy that unfolded last night in the maritime area of Lesbos fills us with sorrow and rage. Six people lost their lives, including an infant, due to the criminal actions of modern-day traffickers," Kikilias wrote in a post on X/Twitter.

"Our position is non-negotiable: zero tolerance for smugglers, those ruthless criminals who, in their pursuit of wealth, do not hesitate to lead desperate people, families and innocent children, to their very deaths," he stated.

Greece has long been a favored gateway to Europe for migrants and refugees from the Middle East, Africa and Asia.

In 2015-16, it was at the frontline of Europe's migration crisis and nearly 1 million people landed on its islands, mainly from Turkey.