Greek authorities said at least four people died Monday after a small boat carrying migrants from nearby Turkey sank in the eastern Aegean Sea off the island of Samos.

The coast guard said the bodies of three women and a girl were found in the water, while five other migrants were rescued from the sea and another 26 who made it safely to shore were later found on land.

A massive air, land and sea search operation was launched as survivors said it was possible some people were still missing. High winds in the area hampered the operation, the officials said.

It wasn't immediately known how the boat, believed to be a small dinghy, sank. There was also no immediate information on the identities or nationalities of the survivors and the dead.

Resident alerts authorities

The authorities were first alerted by a resident of the area who heard screams and cries for help from the sea, according to local officials.

Migrant shipwrecks are a regular occurrence off the coast of Greece and the country is one of the most popular for people fleeing poverty or war in Africa, Asia and the Middle East, to enter the European Union.

Despite a crackdown by Greek authorities along the land and sea border with Turkey, thousands of people are making the crossing, often in flimsy inflatable dinghies, from the Turkish coast to Greek islands.

Smugglers have also increasingly turned to ferrying migrants in powerful speedboats in recent months.

dh/jsi (AP, AFP, Reuters)