UPDATE: The number of the dead has risen to 16 which includes five children. The operation is still ongoing.

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A tragedy occurred in Agathonisi in the morning when a wooden boat carrying refugees and illegal immigrants sank under unclear conditions.

Of the 20 people who, according to the first information, were on board, six men, one man, one woman and four children, found a tragic death.

The Coast Guard forces found two men and a woman alive on the coast of the island this morning at 8.30, who informing them of what had happened.

Immediately thereafter, the Coast Guard launched a major Search & Rescue operation. It includes an offshore vessel, two Port Vessels, a Hellenic Navy patrol vessel, three naval helicopters, a Frontex vessel and several ships.