18 refugees have drowned overnight after their boat sank in the Aegean Sea.

Turkish media reports that the boat is believed to have been making its way to the Greek island of Kalymnos.

The incident happened near the southern Turkish town of Bodrum, and around 3.5km from the coast.

Another 14 people, including Syrians, Iraqis and Pakistanis, are said to have been pulled to safety by the Turkish coastguard.

Reuters reports that a large amount of people are still attempting to make the trip from Turkey to Greece, although the winter months have seen a slowdown in the numbers crossing.