Greece: 6 dead from suspected migrant boat sinking in Aegean

Greece's coast guard says the bodies of six people have been recovered from the sea off a Greek island in the eastern Aegean following the sinking of a suspected migrant smuggling boat.

The bodies of four children, one man and one woman were recovered off the island of Agathonisi today morning, the coast guard said.

Three people, two women and a man, managed to reach the coast and alert authorities to the boat sinking.

The three told authorities they had been in a wooden boat carrying an estimated 21 people which sank, for reasons that were not immediately clear.

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.