Three people have died and five others were rescued after an inflatable boat carrying migrants sank off the coast of Samos, a Greek island in the Aegean Sea, on Monday, according to police.

“Three bodies were recovered, and five individuals were rescued and are safe,” an official from the port police told AFP.

Authorities have initiated a large-scale search operation for other missing persons, with some local reports suggesting that up to 20 individuals may still be unaccounted for.

Incidents involving migrants are common in the waters off Greece, a key entry point for those fleeing poverty or conflict in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East as they attempt to reach the European Union.

In this latest tragedy, the boat sank early Monday near the northwest coast of Samos, one of the closest Greek islands to Turkey, from where many migrants begin their perilous journey.