Hundreds of migrants feared drowned after 700 squeeze onto boat in Mediterranean
HUNDREDS of Europe-bound migrants are feared to have drowned in the Mediterranean today after their rickety smugglers' boat capsized.
Hundreds of migrants area feared drowned after a smugglers' ship capsized (file picture)
The migrants were packed onto a heavily overcrowded fishing boat which was setting off from Libya for mainland Europe.
The rickety vessel sent out a distress call after running into difficulties around 30 miles off the north African coast and Italian coastguard units were sent to the rescue.
However, the fishing boat tragically capsized when the migrants saw the approaching rescue ships and rushed to one side of it in a blind panic.
Aid charity Médecins Sans Frontières, which is part of the rescue effort, said there had been "many deaths" as a result of the accident.
Hundreds are feared to have drowned in the rolling seas in the worst single disaster since 700 migrants perished in similar circumstances in April.
It's the most dangerous journey in the world
Italian aid worker Nawal Soufi, who is often contacted by migrants in distress, said she had received reports today of a stricken boat which also had 700 people on board.
A coastguard spokesman revealed that the fishing vessel which sank is "probably the same boat", raising fears that hundreds of people may have lost their lives.
Five ships, including one from charity Médecins Sans Frontières, have now been sent to the area to search for survivors with a number of people having been spotted in the water. Italian navy helicopters have been dropping inflatable rafts from the air in a bid to save those stranded in the sea.
Early reports indicated that sixteen bodies have been recovered by rescue crews, with aorund 200 people being saved so far. The whereabouts of the remaining 500 passengers remains unknown.
Irish Navy officials reported that there was an "incident" on the fishing vessel this morning, after which the captain sent a distress signal to Sicilian authorities.
Andre Perache from Médecins Sans Frontières said: "The information we have is that 700 people would've been on a boat that capsized. What's important about this is that to highlights the incredible dangers of this voyage that people are taking. These people are risking their lives trying to find safe harbour and this boat has capsized in the process.
He added: "It's the most dangerous journey in the world and people are still doing it anyway and this situation highlights just how dangerous that is.
"These people are running for their lives. They are taking incredible risks, risking everything to try to find safety."
More than 2,000 people trying to make the crossing from Libya to Europe - many of them heading for Britain - have died this year in maritime disasters.
In response the European Union (EU) has set up a military operation to target the people smugglers capitalising on their desperation.
More follows.
The team on the #Dignity1 can confirm that there have tragically been many deaths but does not have figures at this stage
— MSF Sea (@MSF_Sea) August 5, 2015