Body of 7-year-old girl found on beach of Greek island of Samos

The body of a seven-year-old girl believed to be from Sudan was found in severely decomposed condition on a beach on the Greek island of Samos, the Greek coastguard reported on Friday.

The mother had identified her daughter on the basis of the clothing she was wearing, the coastguard said. The body was taken to a hospital for an autopsy. Samos, a popular holiday destination, lies within sight of the Turkish coast.

The mother told the coastguard on December 25 that her daughter had fallen into the sea near Farmakonisi, a Greek island 40 kilometres to the south of Samos, while a group of migrants were crossing from the Turkish mainland.

An investigation is proceeding into how the child came to fall off the boat.

According to the UNHCR, the UN refugee agency, almost 42,000 people arrived by sea on Greek islands in the eastern Aegean and on Crete during last year.

It is not known how many died in making the crossing. In 2024, 125 people are known to have died in the eastern Mediterranean region, although the true figure is believed to be much higher.