34 refugees with many women and children perish in Greek waters

At least 34 people, nearly half of them women, babies and young children, have drowned in the Aegean Sea in the single biggest loss of life in these waters since the refugee crisis began in the Mediterranean.

They died off Farmakonissi when their inflatable vessel sank, overloaded with more than 100 people on board.

Greek coastguards were able to save 68, and another 30 swam to shore.

On Lesbos the island’s coastline is littered with thousands of lifejackets and the remains of boats. In the space of 90 minutes one reporter counted 10 boats arrive, with mostly Syrian and Afghan refugees. One rubber dinghy burst just 100 metres from the shore, but everyone was able to swim to safety.As they were taken away some locals fought over one boat’s outboard motor.