At least 15 migrants dead and others missing in shipwreck off Greek island of Lesbos

At least fifteen migrants have died after their dinghy sank off the Greek island of Lesbos in dangerous winds, and another twenty are believed to be missing< /p> Fifteen migrants died after boat sank off Lesbos, Greece

At least fifteen migrants have died after a small boat sank off the Greek island of Lesbos.

Twenty people were also missing after their dinghy ran into difficulty in the central Aegean Sea near Turkey in the early hours of Thursday amid high winds.

Some 40 passengers are said to have been on board the boat during its overnight journey. Many of the people on board were women who seemed "completely panicked", coastguard spokesman Nikos Kokkalas told TV ER.

A Greek Coast Guard vessel and an Air Force helicopter were dispatched to the scene to carry out search and rescue.

Five people are confirmed to have been brought to safety by authorities, although high winds are said to have made rescue efforts more difficult.

Twenty other people are also missing by the Greek Coast Guard out of an estimated forty on board

The incident occurred as a search was being carried out along the coast of Lesbos for migrants who may have reached the shore, which resulted in three people being found trapped in a remote area.

On Wednesday, Greek authorities also rescued 30 migrants whose boat sank after hitting a rocky area in rough waters near the island of Kythira on Wednesday, the coast guard said.

A massive search and rescue operation was required to deal with around 100 migrants who had boarded the vessel, with strong winds also being felt in the area.

Kythira is located in the south of mainland Greece.