13 migrants die as boat drowns off Greek island

Athens : Greek authorities say a small plastic boat carrying migrants from Turkey to Europe has sunk off an eastern Greek islet drowning at least 13, mostly children.

The coast guard says another 15 people have been rescued, while a search is underway to locate one missing person. The dead included seven children, four men, and two women.

The accident occurred before dawn Wednesday off the small Aegean Sea island of Farmakonissi. The cause of the sinking is not clear.

In a separate incident, nearly 800 people have been pulled to safety in the Mediterranean and one body has been recovered, the Italian coastguard said on Wednesday, among migrants attempting the perilous crossing to Europe.

A total of 782 people were rescued from rubber dinghies and a rickety boat off the coast of Libya in eight separate operations coordinated by the coastguard, which also worked with Doctors Without Borders' boat Bourbon Argos, a navy ship and a Liberian-flagged cargo vessel. The Italian navy said its Cigala Fulgesi ship had recovered a man's body.

The Geneva-based International Organisation for Migrants says more than 1 million people have entered Europe as of Monday. Almost all came by sea, while 3,692 drowned in the attempt. At least 820,000 refugees and economic migrants have reached Greece's eastern islands this year.