At Least 15 Killed After Migrant Speedboat Collides With Greek Coast Guard Patrol Vessel [WATCH]

At least 15 people were killed after a speedboat carrying migrants collided with a Greek coast guard patrol vessel near the eastern Aegean island of Chios, Greek authorities said late Tuesday, as search and rescue operations continued for potentially missing passengers, as reported by The New York Post.

According to the Greek Coast Guard, the crash occurred in waters off Chios and triggered an immediate emergency response.

The bodies of 14 people — 11 men and three women — were recovered from the sea following the collision. Another 25 migrants were rescued, including approximately 11 children, and were transported to a hospital on Chios for treatment.

GREECE | Chios – Serious clash between Hellenic Coast Guard and migrant smugglers
A dramatic incident unfolded tonight off the coast of Chios in the Aegean Sea.
A Coast Guard patrol boat spotted a migrant vessel near the island. According to initial reports, the suspected… pic.twitter.com/oi0RxnGUzZ

— Greek City Times (@greekcitytimes) February 3, 2026

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Two coast guard officers were also injured during the incident and were taken to the same hospital, the coast guard said.

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Authorities later confirmed that one of the injured women rescued from the speedboat died at the hospital, bringing the confirmed death toll to at least 15.

The total number of people who had been aboard the migrant speedboat was not immediately known. As of late Tuesday, a large-scale search and rescue effort remained underway to locate any additional victims.

The operation involved four patrol vessels, an air force helicopter, and a private boat carrying divers, according to officials.

Video footage published by a local news outlet showed emergency responders carrying at least one person wrapped in a blanket from a boat moored beside a jetty into a waiting coast guard vehicle with flashing blue lights.

The footage also appeared to show adults leading two children — one of them limping — toward the vehicle.

The coast guard said it did not yet have further information on how the collision occurred or the circumstances leading up to the crash.

Hospital staff on Chios were placed on high alert following the incident, according to Michalis Giannakos, head of Greece’s public hospital workers’ union.

Speaking on Open TV, Giannakos said medical personnel were mobilized to respond to the sudden influx of injured patients.

“Staff at the hospital in Chios were all on alert,” Giannakos said, adding that several of the injured required surgery and that personnel remained on standby in case more victims were brought in.

Greece remains a major entry point into the European Union for migrants fleeing conflict and poverty in parts of the Middle East, Africa, and Asia.

Many attempt the often dangerous crossing from the Turkish coast to nearby Greek islands in the eastern Aegean.

Fatal maritime accidents involving migrant vessels have been frequent over the years, though Greek authorities say increased patrols have reduced the number of crossings.

The government has also faced accusations of pushbacks, a practice it denies, involving the return of migrants without allowing asylum claims.

Greece, along with several other EU member states, has tightened migration enforcement in recent years.

In December, the European Union began overhauling its migration system, including measures aimed at streamlining deportations and increasing detentions.

Migration policy remains a contentious issue across Europe.

Since a surge of asylum-seekers roughly a decade ago, public debate has intensified, political alignments have shifted, and migration rules across the bloc have continued to harden as asylum numbers decline from previous record levels.

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