This article is more than 4 years old

This article is more than 4 years old

The bodies of nine people, including two babies, have been found drowned off the coast of western Turkey, after a boat carrying people to Greece partly capsized, according to the Turkish coastguard.

The fibreglass vessel partially capsized on Tuesday at 05.35 local time (03.35 GMT) off the coast of Seferihisar in Izmir province, close to the Greek island of Samos. Two people were rescued swimming to the shore, the coastguard’s statement said.

A crackdown on illegal crossing, along with dangerous winter conditions, has failed to deter tens of thousands of people from boarding flimsy boats and attempting to cross the Mediterranean in the first few weeks of the year.