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| Aryan Kurdi |
Little Aylan Kurdi, three, and Galip Kurdi, five, were on an overcrowded boat filled with refugees fleeing the war in Syria when it capsized shortly into the crossing to the Greek island of Kos. Both boys died in the sea alongside their mother, Rehan, while their father Abdullah survived. Today the shattered father watched as the coffins of the family he couldn't save left the morgue. Earlier he had described the horrific moment that his family slipped through his fingers as he screamed for help.
He told reporters: 'My kids were the most beautiful children in the world, wonderful. Now all I want to do is sit next to the grave of my wife and children.'
Aylan and Galip, who were not wearing life jackets, did not stand a chance when the boat overturned in the dead of night, some 30 minutes after it set off from the holiday resort of Bodrum in Turkey. All 17 passengers were flung into the Mediterranean, and despite the calm water, Galip and Aylan drowned.
Their lifeless bodies, still clad in tiny T-shirts and shorts, washed up on Ali Hoca Point Beach in Bodrum yesterday.
Aylan and Galip, who were not wearing life jackets, did not stand a chance when the boat overturned in the dead of night, some 30 minutes after it set off from the holiday resort of Bodrum in Turkey. All 17 passengers were flung into the Mediterranean, and despite the calm water, Galip and Aylan drowned.
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| Aylan Kurdi found on Turkey Beach |
Their lifeless bodies, still clad in tiny T-shirts and shorts, washed up on Ali Hoca Point Beach in Bodrum yesterday.
Mr Kurdi has confirmed to reporters that he was on board the ship with his family but was unable to save them. He said the boat's captain panicked due to the high waves and jumped into the sea and fled, leaving him in control of the small craft.
'I took over and started steering,' he said. 'The waves were so high and the boat flipped.'
He told Turkey's Dogan News Agency: 'I was holding my wife's hand, but my children slipped through my hands. We tried to cling to the boat, but it was deflating.
'It was dark and everyone was screaming.'
Mr Kurdi said his family were trying to get to Canada from Kobane after fleeing to Turkey last year to escape Islamic State extremists. According to Mr Kurdi's Facebook page, he was originally from Damascus in Syria. He told Dogan News Agency he had paid human traffickers to take his family to Kos twice before, but both attempts failed.
'In our first attempt, coastguards captured us in the sea and then they released us. In our second attempt, the organisers did not keep their word and did not bring the boat,' he said.
It is believed a smuggler told the journey would only take 10 minutes. Yesterday he identified the bodies of his wife and two sons and waited for their release from the morgue in Mugla, Turkey. Now he wants to return to Kobane now to bury his family. A hospital official in Bodrum said the bodies would be flown to Istanbul later today and taken to the Turkish border town of Suruc before reaching their final destination Kobane.
'I took over and started steering,' he said. 'The waves were so high and the boat flipped.'
He told Turkey's Dogan News Agency: 'I was holding my wife's hand, but my children slipped through my hands. We tried to cling to the boat, but it was deflating.
'It was dark and everyone was screaming.'
Mr Kurdi said his family were trying to get to Canada from Kobane after fleeing to Turkey last year to escape Islamic State extremists. According to Mr Kurdi's Facebook page, he was originally from Damascus in Syria. He told Dogan News Agency he had paid human traffickers to take his family to Kos twice before, but both attempts failed.
'In our first attempt, coastguards captured us in the sea and then they released us. In our second attempt, the organisers did not keep their word and did not bring the boat,' he said.
It is believed a smuggler told the journey would only take 10 minutes. Yesterday he identified the bodies of his wife and two sons and waited for their release from the morgue in Mugla, Turkey. Now he wants to return to Kobane now to bury his family. A hospital official in Bodrum said the bodies would be flown to Istanbul later today and taken to the Turkish border town of Suruc before reaching their final destination Kobane.
The boys' aunt has spoken of the moment Mr Kurdi called relatives after the tragedy. She revealed the family had been refused visas in June to join her in Canada, so instead had taken the fateful decision to risk their lives by paying smugglers to take them to Europe.
'I heard the news at five o'clock in this morning,' Vancouver-based Teema Kurdi told. She said she learned of the tragedy through a telephone call from Ghuson Kurdi, the wife of another brother, Mohammad, who had spoken with the bereaved father.
'She had got a call from Abdullah, and all he said was, 'my wife and two boys are dead',' she explained.
'She had got a call from Abdullah, and all he said was, 'my wife and two boys are dead',' she explained.
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| Aylan Kurdi |
The aunt said an application to sponsor the family to go to Canada was rejected in June.
'I was trying to sponsor them, and I have my friends and my neighbours who helped me with the bank deposits, but we couldn't get them out, and that is why they went in the boat,' she added.
Canadian legislator Fin Donnelly told The Canadian Press he had submitted a request on behalf on the boys' aunt. Canadian immigration authorities rejected the application, in part because the family did not have exit visas to ease their passage out of Turkey and because of their lack of internationally recognised refugee status, the aunt told the Ottawa Citizen.
'I was trying to sponsor them, and I have my friends and my neighbours who helped me with the bank deposits, but we couldn't get them out, and that is why they went in the boat,' she added.
Canadian legislator Fin Donnelly told The Canadian Press he had submitted a request on behalf on the boys' aunt. Canadian immigration authorities rejected the application, in part because the family did not have exit visas to ease their passage out of Turkey and because of their lack of internationally recognised refugee status, the aunt told the Ottawa Citizen.
Textile worker Ferhat Alhan hired Mr Kundi three years ago after he first came to Turkey alone. He told how his friend decided to bring his family over after returning to Syria following the birth of Aylan and asked for help in finding a house.
'He had a very hard life and I helped in any way I could - Aylan slept in my kid's cradle for three to four months.
'Abdullah was the only one working and getting by was difficult and he couldn't stand Istanbul anymore and he sent his family back to Kobane.
'When ISIS attacked Kobane, one shell fell on their house causing the house to be totally destroyed. 'He had to bring the family back to Istanbul. One week they slept at my place, another week at other places, they even slept at the workplace because there was no rental house. 'In the end, they had no choice but to go to the [refugee] camp in Antep [newer name is Gaziantep] and you now the rest.'
'He had a very hard life and I helped in any way I could - Aylan slept in my kid's cradle for three to four months.
'Abdullah was the only one working and getting by was difficult and he couldn't stand Istanbul anymore and he sent his family back to Kobane.
'When ISIS attacked Kobane, one shell fell on their house causing the house to be totally destroyed. 'He had to bring the family back to Istanbul. One week they slept at my place, another week at other places, they even slept at the workplace because there was no rental house. 'In the end, they had no choice but to go to the [refugee] camp in Antep [newer name is Gaziantep] and you now the rest.'