Pakistanis among survivors of Greece boat disaster

People seeking missing relatives were urged to share with the ministry identity documents and DNA reports from authenticated laboratories, she said.

The death toll in Wednesday's disaster could run to many hundreds as witness accounts suggested between 400 and 750 people had packed the fishing boat that sank about 80 kilometres from the southern Greek town of Pylos.

Greek authorities have said 104 survivors and 78 bodies of the dead were brought ashore in the immediate aftermath. 

Hopes were fading of finding any more people alive.

Most of the people on board were from Egypt, Syria and Pakistan, Greek government officials have said.