A local governor's report said that five people were killed, and one was severely injured, when a boat with migrants struck a Turkish Coast Guard vessel in the northwest of Turkey on Sunday. The search for a missing individual is underway.

The governor's office released a statement saying that a boat with 34 migrants on board and a migrant trafficker struck the coast guard vessel near the Badavut Coast of Ayvalik District.

Five people drowned in the sea as a result the search and rescue operation carried out in the area. "One woman was sent to the hospital with severe injuries," said the statement, adding that authorities are still looking for one person who is missing.

The Ayvalik Prosecutor's Office has launched an investigation into the incident, it stated.

The Aegean is a popular transit route for migrants trying to reach Europe from North Africa or the Middle East. (Reporting and editing by Christina Fincher. Tuvan Gumrukcu)

(source: Reuters)