Three people drowned and 20 more were missing after their boat sank in rough seas off southern Italy today, the Italian navy said.
Some seventy would-be immigrants, including women and children, were crammed onto a small barge that was unfit to cope with waves of up to three metres high on the Mediterranean crossing from Africa to Europe.
The navy said it rescued 48 people and recovered the three dead about 75 miles (121 km) off Lampedusa, a small island south of the Italian mainland.
Two other boats were intercepted in Maltese waters between 50 and 70 miles southeast of the island, and 450 people were rescued in an operation by Italian and Maltese authorities.
Closer to Africa than mainland Italy, Lampedusa is a popular entry point into Europe for thousands seeking a better life.
Many set sail in flimsy and overcrowded boats that sink or capsize long before they reach safety, however.
Reuters