A diver carries a young girl who was rescued after a boat capsized Thursday in the Aegean Sea off western Turkey.
- NEW: Death toll rises to 58 after boat sinks off Turkey's coast
- NEW: Most of the passengers were Palestinians, news agency reports
- The boat, which sank in the Aegean Sea, is said to have been carrying illegal immigrants
- More than 40 passengers were rescued and were in good condition, news agencies say
(CNN) -- A boat believed to be carrying illegal immigrants sank Thursday off the coast of Turkey, killing 58 people, the official Turkish Radio and Television Corp. said.
The boat sank in the Aegean Sea off Izmir province Thursday, the Andalou Agency news service of Turkey reported, citing acting Gov. Ardahan Totuk.
Authorities initially said as few as 24 of the 104 passengers aboard the ship had died, but revised the number to 58 after divers searched the ship's cargo hold and found more victims, Totuk said, according to TRT.
Women and children were among the dead, and Totuk said the passengers were illegal immigrants.
Most of the passengers were Palestinians, the Andalou Agency reported, citing Mederes District Mayor Tahsin Kurtoglu.
Neither TRT nor the Andalou Agency said where the boat originated or where it was headed.
More than 40 passengers were rescued and were in good condition, according to the news agencies.
CNN's Gul Tuysuz contributed to this report.
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