Four dead in collision between tourist boat and speedboat in Greece

Nine-year-old child among the dead

Two coast guard patrol boats and a helicopter were conducting the search and rescue operation, while private boats were assisting in the efforts (GIANNIS POLITIS/AFP/Getty Images)

A speedboat collided with a tourist boat off the Greek island of Aegina, near Athens, killing four people, including a child, and injuring at least another four.

A total of 21 people were rescued from the waters between Aegina and the nearby deserted islet of Moni, where the tourist boat was transporting holiday-makers, the Greek coast guard said.

A search and rescue operation involving patrol boats, a helicopter and nearby private vessels continued looking for more possible survivors.

More 20 people are believed to have been on the tourist boat, but authorities said the precise number and any details of how the accident happened were unclear.

It is currently unclear how many people were on the speedboat.

Four bodies were recovered from the water: three men, one of them believed to have been the tourist boat captain, and a nine-year-old child.

Aegina's proximity to the Greek capital makes it a popular destination for Greeks and foreign tourists.

Small tourist boats ferry holiday-makers from the island's port village of Perdika to Moni, an islet inhabited by deer and peacocks, and which features a popular sandy cove.

Additional reporting by AP