At least 250 people are reportedly missing after a boat carrying refugees of different nationalities from Libya to Italy capsized off the coast of the island of Lampedusa, Press TV reported.
Valerio Alessandro, a spokesman for the Italian port authorities, said Wednesday that their patrol boats managed to rescue 50 people and that 250 others are still missing, CNN reported.
The International Organization for Migration says the vessel was carrying people from Somalia, Nigeria, Bangladesh, Ivory Coast, Chad and Sudan, estimating that at least 40 women and 5 children were onboard the boat when it turned over.
Italian Coast Guard officials have used aircraft and boats to look for possible survivors, but said bad weather conditions have hindered rescue efforts.
The influx of immigrants to Italy started two months ago in the wake of anti-regime protests and following government crackdowns in Libya and Tunisia, which sent large numbers of people heading to Italian island of Lampedusa and thus created an alarming humanitarian situation.
Most of the immigrants, estimated by Italian officials to top 22,000 people, have fled the political turmoil and the economic hardships that seem to be worsening with post-revolution instability going on.
Rome has called on the European Union to help block the flow of immigrants, and has also agreed to provide Tunisia with some equipment to increase its border security and stop Tunisians from taking dangerous journeys to Italy.
Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini has said nearly 300,000 Libyans are expected to leave their country and most of them would probably head for Italy.
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