Ankara, Dec 22 (IANS): At least 11 refugees drowned while seven others were rescued on Tuesday when their boat capsized off Turkey's Aegean coast, private Dogan news agency reported.
The boat was carrying foreign refugees when it sank off Turkey's Aegean Kusadasi Gulf of Kusadasi town in Aydin province, according to the report, Xinhua reported.
Turkish coast guards rescued seven refugees, and continued to pull other refugees with the support of helicopters out of water, said the report.
Some 80,000 refugees have been saved off Turkish coasts this year alone, while more than 3,000 died on their way to Greek islands via Turkey, the Turkish coast guard said.
Over 600,000 refugees have reportedly reached Greek islands so far this year, in a crisis that has alarmed the European Union.