At least seven people have died after a boat carrying migrants capsized in a lake in eastern Turkey on Thursday, officials said.
The boat sank in Lake Van as it approached the town of Adilcevaz in Bitlis province, the provincial governor’s office said in a statement.
It was carrying migrants from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh.
Five of the migrants were found dead in the lake while two others died in a hospital, the statement said. At least 64 other migrants were rescued.
Those saved from the incident – which happened around 3am – were taken to the hospital and shelters around Bitlis.
Turkey is a main crossing point for migrants trying to reach Europe.
It was not immediately clear why the migrants were travelling on a boat and not by road, as the lake is close to Iran but lies within Turkey’s borders.
Gendarmerie forces, emergency teams and divers were pressing ahead with search-and-rescue operations, the statement said, adding that authorities had launched a formal investigation into the incident.