The Greek Coast Guard said another 26 people had been rescued from the Aegean Sea as search and rescue operations continued.

At least 14 people were killed when a boat carrying migrants collided with a Greek coast guard vessel in the Aegean Sea near the island of Chios, the coast guard said.

The incident occurred at around 9pm local time on Tuesday (19:00 GMT) off the coast of the Melsinidi region of Chios, Greece’s Athens-Macedonian News Agency (AMNA) reported.

The coast guard said 26 people were rescued and taken to a hospital in Chios, including 24 migrants and two coast guard officers.

It is said that it is unclear how many people are still on the speedboat.

According to Greek media reports, seven children and a pregnant woman were among the injured.

AMNA said patrol boats, helicopters and divers were conducting search and rescue operations in the area.

Video shared by Greek newspaper Ta Nea appeared to show at least one person being taken from a boat moored next to the pier into a vehicle with blue lights flashing.

An unnamed Coast Guard official told Reuters the collision occurred after the migrant boat “headed toward” a Coast Guard vessel that directed it to turn back.

Greece has long been an important transit point For immigrants and refugees People from the Middle East, Africa and Asia tried to reach Europe.

Greece was on the frontline of the migrant crisis in 2015 and 2016, with nearly a million people arriving from nearby Türkiye on Greek islands including Chios.

But arrivals have fallen in recent years with the arrival of Greece strengthen immigration policyincluding tighter border controls and maritime patrols.

The country is ⁠Treatment of immigrants and refugees Maritime approaches, including a 2023 shipwreck in which witnesses said hundreds of migrants died as coast guards tried to tow away their trawlers.

The EU’s border agency said last year it was reviewing 12 cases of possible human rights violations in Greece, including allegations that some asylum seekers were expelled from Greece’s borders.

Greece denies violating human rights or pushing asylum seekers away from its shores.