A boat sank off the coast of Turkey’s Izmir province after water began seeping in shortly after its departure, the Turkish coast guard said in a statement on Wednesday.

There were initially around 35 migrants in the boat, the coast guard said.

The head of the Kurdistan Region’s Migration Federation, Ari Jalal, told NRT Digital Media that more than 15 Kurds were on board the boat, adding that "the destiny and certificate of the 19 other migrants have remained unclear."

The Kurds who did not survive were residents of Duhok and Zakho.

Only one woman, who is a resident of Zakho, was rescued, Jalal confirmed.

Turkey became one of the main launch points for more than a million migrants taking the sea route to EU territory in 2015, many fleeing conflict and poverty in the Middle East and Africa.

Up to 289 people from the Kurdistan Region have drowned in the Aegean Sea while trying to immigrate to Europe over the last five years, the Iraqi Migration and Displacement Federation said October 6.

As many as 133 people from the Region have also gone missing on the road to Europe, according to the federation.

Reporter’s code: 50101