Rome : At least 30 bodies were found on a migrant boat in Italy Monday, media reported.
Officials said nearly 600 passengers were rescued by the Italian navy early Monday in Sicily, the ANSA news agency said.
Officials suspect the victims were asphyxiated to death.
Officials said more than 5,000 migrants were rescued off the coast of Italy this weekend alone under the government’s search-and-rescue programme launched after roughly 400 migrants died off Sicily in October 2013.
Italy has reportedly saved over 50,000 migrants since, but it is failing to cope with the increasing number of migrants as migrant centres are overflowing.
Italy has repeatedly asked the EU for more help in dealing with the influx. But reciprocity on asylum seekers and migrants, a point strongly pushed by Italy, was scratched from the EU summit under strong pressure from northern European countries.