Hundreds of migrants are feared dead after a boat carrying up to 700 people capsized in the Mediterranean Sea, according to the Italian coastguard. The vessel, approximately 20 metres long, overturned at midnight local time in Libyan waters, south of the Italian island of Lampedusa.
So far, only 28 survivors have been rescued and 24 bodies recovered. Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi described the incident as a European tragedy and called for an extraordinary EU summit to address the migrant crisis. He said he could not confirm the exact number of deaths but expected it to be a 'dramatic amount'.
The UN refugee agency (UNHCR) stated that this could be the largest loss of life during a migrant crossing to Europe this year. At least 900 other migrants have died attempting the crossing in 2015. The Italian coastguard reported that survivors and bodies are now on its vessel, the Gregoretti.
The boat capsized when migrants rushed to one side to attract the attention of a passing Portuguese merchant ship, the King Jacob. Rescue operations involve Italian naval and coastguard ships, the Maltese Navy, cargo vessels, and three helicopters, covering an area 130 miles off Lampedusa and 17 miles from the Libyan coast.
Maltese Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said rescuers were 'literally trying to find people alive among the dead floating in the water'. He warned that if Europe continues to ignore the situation, history will judge it harshly. Pope Francis expressed his 'deepest sorrow', calling the victims 'men and women like us who seek a better life'.
