Four children among five dead as migrant boats get into trouble off Greek coast

Migrants disembark from a Greek coastguard vessel in Mytilene, Lesbos (AP Photo/Panagiotis Balaskas)

Five people, including four children, died and dozens were rescued on Monday in two separate incidents involving migrant boats heading to Greek islands from nearby Turkish shores, Greek authorities said.

The coastguard said four people died and 18 were rescued after a boat carrying migrants apparently sank north-east of the Greek island of Lesbos, which is near the Turkish coast.