- THESSALONIKI, Greece: Greek authorities say they have rescued 11 immigrants stranded in the middle of a flood-swollen river after they tried to illegally enter Greece from Turkey.
A police statement Monday said the 11 Algerian men were taken to a hospital where one was treated for hypothermia.
Police said the immigrants tried to cross the Evros River in two inflatable dinghies, which were swept away by floodwaters and caught on a sandbar on Sunday afternoon. They called for help and were rescued two hours later.
The Evros, which runs along the Greek-Turkish border, has claimed the lives of at least 15 illegal immigrants since late September.
Debt-crippled Greece is the main gateway to the European Union for illegal immigrants from Asia and Africa, with tens of thousands arriving every year, mostly through Turkey.