Athens: Four people, including a child, died after a boat carrying migrants sank off the southern coast of Lesbos, an eastern Aegean island in Greece, on Tuesday, according to the coast guard. The victims included two women, a man, and a girl whose bodies were recovered from the sea near a rocky shore. A semi-submerged boat was found close to the discovery site.

Thirty-four survivors managed to reach the shore unaided, where they were found by police. After confirming with survivors that there were 38 people on board, authorities called off the search and rescue operation on land and sea, as there were no additional missing persons.

The cause of the sinking remains unknown, and no details were immediately available regarding the nationalities of the victims or survivors. Greece continues to serve as one of the main entry points into the European Union for migrants and refugees fleeing conflict and poverty in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia. Many undertake hazardous crossings from the Turkish coast to nearby Greek islands in overloaded or unsafe vessels, leading to frequent and deadly incidents.

With inputs from PTI