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Eight refugee children among dozens drowned in Greek waters
Meanwhile, the Maltese navy watches on as refugees struggle to stay afloat off the island nation's coast
Medical staff transfer a survivor of the Ionian Sea tragedy from an ambulance on arrival at a hospital in the northwestern Greek port town of Preveza

AT LEAST 23 refugees drowned in Greek waters this weekend, adding to the roughly 20 who have already died in the region so far this year.

The first of two incidents on Saturday occurred in the morning when a boat carrying around 50 people sank near the island of Paxos off the west coast of the Greek mainland.

Greece’s coastguard confirmed that 12 people lost their lives when the boat began to take on water. At least 17 people remain missing.

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