Four people are dead, including two children, after a ship carrying migrants crashed on a Greek island

Four migrants, including two children, died when a boat hit rocks near the Greek island of Samos, while 16 others were rescued

ATHENS, Greece — Authorities said Thursday that four people, including two children, died after a boat carrying migrants ran aground on the rocky coast on the eastern Greek island of Samos.

Sixteen people were rescued, but it is unclear how many people were on board the boat. The Hellenic Coast Guard launched a search and rescue operation involving patrol vessels, lifeboats and shore teams to locate possible missing passengers.

This is the second fatal incident involving migrants in Samos this week. On Monday, eight migrants – six children and two women – died in a shipwreck off the coast of the island.

Samos and other Greek islands in the eastern Aegean Sea are key transit points for migrants crossing from Turkey to the European Union, with arrivals in recent months linked to ongoing wars in the Middle East and parts of Africa, according to Greek authorities.