Athens, March 1 (TIWN) Seven bodies have been recovered after a boat carrying refugees and migrants sank off the coast of Greece's Lesvos island on Tuesday.

A rescue operation by the Coast Guard is underway to locate any survivors, as it was still unclear how many people were onboard when the boat overturned and what the circumstances of the incident were, Xinhua news agency reported citing Greek national news agency AMNA.  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.