“A Luxembourg reconnaissance plane spotted a capsized boat around 35 nautical miles off the Libyan coast with about 100 migrants in the water or clinging to the sinking vessel”, he said. The navy said 562 people were pulled to safety.
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Most migrants who come to Italy by boat hail from Africa.
The wooden fishing boat capsized off the coast of Libya as desperate passengers tried to flee the war-torn country.
The European Union Naval Force for the Mediterranean Sea said rescue operations were carried out by the Spanish frigate Reina Sofia, the Spanish Air Force and the Italian Coast Guard.
He said he did not have any information as yet about how big the boat was. That brings the total number Italy has helped rescue since Monday to more than 10,000 – a sign that Europe’s immigration crisis is far from over. He said he had no details about the empty boats.
The Mediterranean Sea continues to be the deadliest route for refugees and migrants, according to the UN’s refugee agency.
Barbara Molinario, spokeswoman for the United Nations refugee agency in Italy, said favorable weather conditions in May to October often encourage migrant crossings. Officials said 88 people had been rescued and that some 20 bodies were spotted in the sea.
Almost 6,000 migrants trying to reach Europe illegally have been rescued from flimsy craft in the Mediterranean in recent days.
The Bettica went on to save another 108 refugees and migrants from their dilapidated vessel in a second rescue operation on Wednesday.
Overloaded boats, crammed with asylum seekers, capsizing under the weight of their passengers in the Mediterranean and dumping hundreds of men, women and children into the waters to either sink or swim.
However, migration to Italy remains lower than it was at the same period a year ago – with the spike in arrivals into Greece earlier in the year accounting for the much higher immigration numbers into Europe so far in 2016.
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Islamic State militants in Libya are not directly involved in people smuggling, he said, but do extort the traffickers who operate in their territory, he said.
