After nightfall, Coast Guard vessels continued to scour the area for survivors. Rescuers were also searching for four children who had been missing since Saturday after their boat capsized off the island of Samos, north of Farmakonisi.

Sunday’s wreck was the latest in a catalog of drownings that underscored the desperation of thousands of refugees fleeing war and of migrants seeking better lives in Western Europe. For most of those who make it, Greece is just a stop on a journey through the Balkans aimed at wealthy nations like Germany and Scandinavian countries like Sweden known for generous welfare programs.

Greece has long been a favored entry point, along with Italy and Malta. But the influx into Greece increased drastically this year, partly because of continuing strife in Syria and other parts of the Middle East. In the first eight months of the year, 230,000 people were intercepted by the Greek Coast Guard, compared with 17,500 in the same period last year, according to the shipping minister, Nikos Zois. Last week, Greece asked for emergency funding from the European Union to improve its response to the migration crisis and to set up additional reception facilities.

Figures released by the International Organization for Migration last week stated that more than 430,000 migrants and refugees crossed the Mediterranean to Europe this year, with 2,748 drowning or going missing on the way.