Migrant Boat Sinks: Nine Children Among Dead

The number of people who died when a migrant boat sank off the coast of Samos has risen to 24, the Greek authorities say.

Seven more bodies have been recovered off the island in the eastern Aegean Sea, the coastguard revealed.

Nine children - four girls and five boys - are among the dead and eight men and one woman have also died.

Ten people were rescued.

A number of others are still missing and Greek ships and vessels from European border agency Frontex are still searching for survivors.

The sinking is the second in two days - another boat sank off the island of Kos on Wednesday, leaving seven people dead, including two children.

Greece is the main gateway into Europe for refugees and migrants.

It has thousands of miles of coastline and is Turkey's nearest neighbour from where the migrants and refugees set out.

Meanwhile, Romanian border police say they have rescued 119 people from Africa who were sailing in the Mediterranean on an inflatable dingy attempting to reach Europe.

Police on board the Stefan Cel Mare ship subsequently took charge of the migrants, all men and 34 children.

The people on board came from Gambia, Senegal, Liberia, Mali, Sierra Leone and Guinea Bissau and were trying to reach a country within the Schengen area which would allow them to travel within Europe.

The coastguard said they were dehydrated and showed signs of hypothermia.

The Romanian ship later docked at the Italian port of Lampedusa and the migrants were handed over to the authorities there.