ATHENS: Nine migrants, including six minors and two women, died on Monday after two boats sank in separate incidents in the Aegean Sea, the Greek coastguard said.

The coastguard said nearly 40 people had been rescued on Samos island and a search for survivors was ongoing amid strong winds.

“The shipwreck in Samos, with 8 innocent lives lost, including 6 children, fills us with sadness and anger,” Migration Minister Nikos Panagiotopoulos wrote on X.

“The coastguard rescued 9 people but the smuggling rings, these ruthless criminals who trade human lives, will confront us with determination to eradicate them.”