Seven migrants drown off Greece's island of Lesbos

A fence erected by Hungarian army soldiers is seen on the border with Croatia near Zakany, Hungary October 1, 2015. REUTERS/Bernadett Szabo

ATHENS (Reuters) - Seven people drowned on Thursday, among them a baby and three children, after their wooden boat and a coast guard vessel crashed during a migrant rescue operation off the island of Lesbos, the Greek coast guard said.

The boat, which the coast guard said was old, sank after the crash and 31 persons were rescued. A man, two women, three children and a baby had drowned, the coast guard said but did not provide further details on the incident or the nationality of the victims.