AYVACIK (Turkey): The Turkish coastguard recovered on Saturday the bodies of women and children washed up on a beach after yet another migrant boat sank while trying to reach Europe, leaving at least 37 dead.

In harrowing scenes reminiscent of the death of Aylan Kurdi, the Syrian toddler photographed lying dead on a Turkish beach in September, the body of a small child could be seen among those strewn over a beach near the town of Ayvacik in north-western Canakkale province, a photographer at the scene said.

A picture showed the dead child dressed in dark trousers and a blue top, face covered with a small hat. In another image, a Turkish gendarme is seen lowering the body of an older child into a body bag.

Another young child was also found dead in the water, according to the photographer.

A number of other children also drowned after the boat ferrying them and their families — some from Syria, others from Afghanistan and Myanmar — to the nearby Greek island of Lesbos sank just off the Turkish coast.

A Turkish official said the Turkish coastguard recovered 37 bodies including children. The incident comes two days after 25 migrants, including 10 children, drowned off the Greek island of Samos. In an earlier statement the Turkish coastguard said 75 people had been rescued.

The Turkish coastguard also said it could not give an exact number of migrants in the boat based on the testimony of the rescued migrants, adding that the rescue operation was continuing.

The photographer counted at least 19 bodies.

“We are sad. At least 20 friends are still missing,” a weeping woman who was among the survivors said earlier.

The capsized boat was visible around 50 metres from the shore, where divers from the coastguard were still searching for the missing.

Military police in green berets placed bodies in bags to be taken to a morgue.

Life jackets and other refugees’ belongings were seen dotted across the beach.

Published in Dawn, January 31st, 2016