The Greek coastguard reported that at least seven migrants, including a boy, a girl, and two women died when their boat capsized on Thursday, off the Greek island Lesbos.

A patrolling coastguard vessel detected the boat at around 2 am (2300 GMT), north of Lesbos.

A coastguard official confirmed that 23 migrants had been rescued so far, and the search and rescue effort was still in progress. The number of people on the boat was not immediately known.

Greece, located in the southeast corner, is a popular gateway for refugees and migrants from the Middle East and Africa. In 2015, nearly 1,000,000 people arrived on its islands.

About 54,000 migrants arrived in Greece last year, making it the second most populous country in southern Europe after Italy. According to UNHCR data, the vast majority arrived by boat. Reporting by Angeliki Koutantou and Yannis Souliotis; Editing by Alison Williams

(source: Reuters)