Four people, including three children, have drowned after a dinghy carrying them and 23 others sank while it was crossing from Turkey to Greece, according to the Greek coastguard.

The incident on Tuesday occurred off the Greek island of Chios, in the Aegean Sea. There were strong winds at the time, the coastguard said in a statement.

Twenty-two people – 14 men, seven women and one child – were rescued and one person is believed to be missing, the coastguard said. Their nationalities were not immediately made public.

"The boat in question had sailed from the Turkish coast loaded with a large number of passengers. This fact, in combination with the adverse weather conditions, led to the detachment of the hull", the coastguard said. It noted that none of the passengers was wearing a life jacket.

Ten vessels, including coastguard patrol boats – as well as nearby fishing boats, and two helicopters assisted in the rescue operation, the coastguard said.

Greek Migration Minister Notis Mitarachi had said earlier that four children drowned in Tuesday's incident.

"This is the reality of the exploitation of migrants by criminal gangs in the Aegean", Mitarachi tweeted.

"Unscrupulous smugglers endangering lives in overcrowded, non-seaworthy boats off Chios", he added, posting a picture of an inflatable dinghy at sea.

It was not immediately clear if the vessel was the one involved in Tuesday's incident.

(With input from agencies)