11 refugees drown in heavy seas off Greek island of Samos

Refugees and migrants abort their effort on a dingy as they set out, trying to travel from the Turkish coast to the Greek island of Chios, near Cesme, Turkey, Saturday, Oct. 31, 2015. Authorities in Greece say 21 people have died in other islands after two boats carrying migrants and refugees from Turkey to Greece sank overnight, in the latest deadly incidents in the eastern Aegean Sea. (AP Photo/Emre Tazegul)

By Associated Press November 1, 2015 1 min read

ATHENS, Greece (AP) – The latest as hundreds of thousands of people seeking safety flood into Europe in search of a new life. All times local.

12:55 p.m.

Greek authorities say 11 more people have drown on the dangerous crossing from Turkey to Greece after a boat carrying nearly 30 refugees sank in heavy seas near the eastern island of Samos.

A Greek Coast Guard spokeswoman says the victims Sunday include five women, four babies and two children. Fifteen other passengers have been rescued and there’s an ongoing search for “one or two missing.”

All but one of the victims were retrieved from the sunken 6-meter (20-foot) plastic boat, which lies in waters 3 meters (10 feet) deep just 20 meters (yards) off the Greek island’s rocky coast.