ATHENS – Seven bodies have been recovered after a boat carrying refugees and migrants sank off the coast of Greece’s Lesvos island on Tuesday, Greek national news agency AMNA reported.

A rescue operation by the local Coast Guard is under way to locate any survivors, as it was still unclear how many people were on board the boat when it overturned and what the circumstances of the incident were. For years, Greece has hosted a large number of refugees fleeing conflict and poverty. Hundreds of refugees trying to seek safety in Europe have perished in the Aegean Sea in the past seven years.