By Magda Panoutsopoulou

ATHENS

One person died after a wooden vessel carrying a group of migrants sank near a Greek islet in the Aegean Sea, the Greek authorities confirmed on Friday.

The vessel went down near the islet of Kalolimnos in the eastern Aegean, leaving at least one person dead.

Eight men, four women and one child were rescued, the Greek coast guard told Anadolu Agency. A search-and-rescue operation was launched for missing people.

It is still not known how many people were on board, and the authorities have not confirmed the nationalities of those in the craft.

The incident follows a protest in Athens on Thursday where more than 100 refugees, including many children, took part. Some held banners reading "Borders destroy families" and "I want to go to Germany."

The UNHCR has stated that sea arrivals to Greece so far this year "have reached 20,000 and the majority were Syrian or Iraqi".

Over 60,000 refugees, mainly from war-torn countries like Syria and Iraq, remain stranded in Greece. Many still aim to reach wealthier European countries.