Ten dead after migrant boat capsizes near Malta, Italian coastguard says

At slightest 10 radical person died aft a vessel thought to beryllium carrying migrants capsized adjacent Malta, the Italian seashore defender has said.

The vessel, which had acceptable disconnected from the Libyan coast, had astir 60 radical connected committee astatine the clip of the incident, according to authorities.

In a statement, the seashore defender said Malta had requested assistance successful the hunt and rescue cognition "following the capsizing of a vas reported with migrants aboard and radical successful the water".

An Italian patrol vessel had recovered 10 bodies, it said, adding a hunt successful the country was continuing connected Sunday afternoon.

A sportfishing vas successful the country was capable to retrieve astir 48 radical alive, the connection added.

According to the UN's International Organisation for Migration (IOM), astatine slightest 827 radical person died truthful acold this twelvemonth attempting the deadly Central Mediterranean crossing.

The crossing way is overseas from North Africa to Italy and Malta. More than 1,330 radical died connected this way past year, the IOM said.