14 bodies recovered after suspected migrant boat sinks off Greece

Migrants and refugees approach on a dinghy the northeastern Greek island of Lesbos from the Turkish coast, on Wednesday, Dec. 9, 2015

Greece’s coast guard on Saturday said the bodies of 14 people had been recovered from the sea off a Greek island in the eastern Aegean following the sinking of a suspected migrant smuggling boat.

A massive search and rescue operation was underway involving three aircraft, Greek navy and coast guard vessels, a vessel from the European border agency Frontex and private boats.

Initially, the bodies of four children, one man and one woman were recovered off the island of Agathonisi, south of the island of Samos, the coast guard said Saturday.

Eight more bodies were recovered a short time later southeast of Agathonisi, the coast guard said. A spokeswoman said it was not immediately known whether they were adults or minors.

Three people — two women and a man — managed to reach the coast and alert authorities. The three told authorities they had been in a wooden boat which sank with an estimated 21 people on board.

(This is a developing story)