Despite years of efforts to ‘push back’ boats crossing the Mediterranean from Africa, capsizings and drownings have continued.

Rescuers on the eastern Greek island of Chios on Wednesday have recovered at least three bodies after a boat carrying migrants from nearby Turkey hit rocks, officials said.

Fourteen people, including eight children, were rescued by the Coast Guard off rugged coasts on the northeast of the island, some 12.5 miles from Turkey. Three men were later found on shore.

Coastguard officials said three patrol vessels were looking for other possible survivors, while at least three bodies have been recovered. All three are reportedly minors. The boat has not been located.

Greek islands in the eastern Aegean Sea are a common entry point into the European Union for migrants using Turkey-based smuggling networks in waters patrolled by the EU border protection agency Frontex.

The incident highlights the ongoing peril faced by migrants attempting to reach Europe via perilous sea routes. Despite intensified efforts by authorities to prevent illegal crossings and combat smuggling networks, tragedies like this one underscore the desperate and dangerous conditions migrants face in their pursuit of a better life.

Efforts to locate any remaining survivors and recover the bodies of those lost at sea continue amidst the treacherous waters of the Aegean Sea.