At least seven people have died after a boat carrying migrants capsized in a lake in eastern Turkey on Thursday, officials said. 

The boat sank in Lake Van as it approached the town of Adilcevaz in Bitlis province, the provincial governor’s office said in a statement.

It was carrying migrants from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh. 

Five of the migrants were found dead in the lake while two others died in a hospital, the statement said. At least 64 other migrants were rescued. 

Those saved from the incident – which happened around 3am – were taken to the hospital and shelters around Bitlis. 

Turkey is a main crossing point for migrants trying to reach Europe.

It was not immediately clear why the migrants were travelling on a boat and not by road, as the lake is close to Iran but lies within Turkey’s borders.

Gendarmerie forces, emergency teams and divers were pressing ahead with search-and-rescue operations, the statement said, adding that authorities had launched a formal investigation into the incident.