At least 15 people died when their ship sank off the Greek island of Lesbos in the central Aegean early Thursday, the Greek coast guard said, in the second sea disaster involving migrants since Wednesday.
The coast guard, citing five people rescued so far, said the sinking boat was carrying about 40 people.
He added that 15 bodies were found, and this leaves about 20 people missing.
The boat sank east of the island of Lesbos near the Turkish coast, and a Greek coast guard ship and an air force helicopter rushed to conduct search and rescue operations with strong winds in the area.
A search has been conducted along the wider coast of Lesbos, looking for migrants who may have reached the shores.
Three people were found stranded in a remote area.
Since last January, dozens of migrants have died in the eastern Mediterranean, while the total number of victims reached 111 people in 2021, according to the International Organization for Migration.
Greece, for its part, faces accusations from NGOs and the media over its responsibility for the forced and illegal removal of migrants from its sea and land borders, and the conservative Greek government says it has long refused to implement such measures.
According to the Turkish Anatolia News Agency, last year, the Turkish coast guard rescued about 15,000 people who were pushed back by Greece.