Greek police said yesterday they had found the body of a migrant near the island of Lesbos, bringing to nine the death toll from the sinking of a boat several days earlier.

The vessel sank on Tuesday and the initial toll stood at eight people, all women and children.

"The body of a man, aged around 30, was discovered close to rocks northeast of the island," a statement from port police said yesterday.

The boat contained 20 migrants who carried no papers but claimed to be Afghan.

Rescuers yesterday continued searches near Lesbos for a child still thought to be missing.

Ten people were rescued after Tuesday's accident, including the Turk who was trying to smuggle the migrants over the border. They were all taken to hospital on the island.

Thousands of would-be migrants and asylum seekers from war-torn countries in Africa and Central Asia try to cross from Turkey into Greece every year in small boats and inflatable dinghies, but many do not survive.