33 migrants killed as boat capsizes off Turkish coast

A boat capsized Saturday off Turkey's shores leaving 33 migrants dead, the latest in a string of fatal accidents that claimed hundreds of lives last year alone.

Five children were among the dead. The boat was trying to reach the Greek island of Lesbos from Turkey's coastal Canakkale province, state-run Anadolu news agency reported, citing the coast guard.

The coast guard rescued 75 people in the Aegean Sea. The migrants hail from Syria, Afghanistan and Myanmar.

Turkey is a major launch point for migrants and refugees trying to reach the European Union. More than 1 million migrants arrived in the EU last year.

Ankara and the EU in November agreed to work to stem migration flows. The bloc has pledged $3 billion in aid to help Syrian refugees in Turkey.

Turkey has registered some 2.5 million Syrians alone since the start of that country's civil war in 2011.