Five people drowned and another 20 are missing after a wooden boat carrying illegal immigrants sank off the the eastern Aegean island of Samos on Saturday, the Merchant Marine Ministry said.

The bodies of the five victims – three men and two women from Somalia – were found near the Galazio area of the island, the ministry said.

Coast guard vessels, a warship, a helicopter and commercial ships tried to search for survivors in the rough seas on Saturday but only managed to rescue one man.

He told coast guard officers that 26 Somalis who were trying to reach Greece from Turkey had been aboard the boat which sank on Friday evening.

The incident happened less than two weeks after at least seven migrants drowned off Samos when the boat they were traveling in sank.