Thirteen people are missing after a cargo ship sank near one of the Greek islands.

The Raptor, which set off from El Dekheila port in Egypt and was sailing to Istanbul in Turkey, sank near Lesbos on Sunday morning.

Built in 1984, the Comoros-flagged ship reported a mechanical failure and issued a distress call, the Greek coastguard said.

Eight of the crew were Egyptians and the rest were Syrian and Indian nationals.

Five cargo ships, three coastguard vessels, air force and navy helicopters, and a navy frigate have joined the rescue effort.

One person has been rescued and airlifted to hospital in wind speeds reaching 9-10, meaning a strong gale to storm force on the Beaufort scale.

An emergency weather warning by the Hellenic National Meteorological Service (EMY) was upgraded on Saturday from “worsening weather” to “dangerous weather phenomena”, as Storm Oliver moved from the Adriatic Sea toward Greece.