13 migrants, including 8 children, drown off Greece

 The bodies of thirteen migrants, including eight children, were discovered off the Greek island of Samos today after their boat capsized, the Greek coastguard said.

A search was underway for around 20 people listed as missing after the latest tragedy involving migrant boats crossing the Aegean Sea from Turkey to Greece.

There were "five boys and three girls among the victims, while 10 people were recovered unharmed, but in shock," a coastguard spokeswoman told AFP.

Initially the coastguard said at least 12 bodies had been found.
Despite wintry conditions, thousands of people fleeing war and poverty continue to make the treacherous sea journey to Europe, many paying with their lives.

Yesterday, rescuers found the bodies of seven drowned migrants, including two children, after their boat sank off the Greek island of Kos.

The European Commission has hit out at overwhelmed Greek authorities, saying in a report published yesterday that Athens had "seriously neglected" its duty to protect the bloc's frontiers.

The UN says more than 46,000 people have arrived in Greece so far this year, with 200 people dying during the voyage.