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(Agencies)
Updated: 2007-12-10 21:51

Ankara - A boat carrying illegal migrants sank off Turkey's Aegean coast and at least 43 died, an official said Monday.

The 15-meter (50-foot) boat is believed to have sunk in rough weather Saturday off the coast of Seferihisar, a town south of the city of Izmir, local Gov. Orhan Sefik Guldibi said. Six migrants were rescued and hospitalized, mostly for shock.

Citing survivors, the Coast Guard said a total of 85 people were aboard. Authorities feared the death toll would rise.

"We are trying to keep our hopes alive but the possibility of more survivors is diminishing," Guldibi said.

"Boats and helicopters are searching for more migrants in the sea," Guldibi said. "Because of the strong wind, we think the bodies should be closer to the coast than where this boat sank. But they are searching far off the coast as well."

Two survivors were Palestinians, but there was no immediate information on the nationalities of the other migrants.

Television footage showed a Coast Guard official pulling a body from the sea onto a beach. A boat brought a dozen more bodies, which were placed in black body bags and lined along a dock.

Strong winds and rough seas hampered rescue work, private NTV television reported. Rescuers were also searching areas close to the Greek island of Chios for bodies, the report said.

Thousands of immigrants from Asia and Africa enter Turkey illegally on their way to European Union countries in search of jobs and a better life.

Smugglers often take the migrants from the Turkish coast to nearby Greek islands on fragile and overcrowded boats, and such accidents are not uncommon.

The European Union, which Turkey wants to join, is pressing Turkey to crack down on illegal immigration.

EU-member Greece, which has a 13,000-kilometer coastline dotted with thousands of islands, has accused Turkish authorities of not doing enough to halt the flow of illegal migrants.

Turkey has increased patrols along its Aegean and Mediterranean coastlines, but boats still get through. Smugglers travel at night to reduce the chances of being detected and choose winter months when Turkey's coasts are deserted.