Italian officials say a boat carrying migrants has capsized off Sicily, leaving at least 27 people dead, in the second such incident in the area this month.
Officials say more than 200 migrants were rescued Friday in a joint operation by the navies of Italy and Malta.
Italy's coast guard said it received a satellite phone call from the boat that it was in distress. A Maltese military aircraft then spotted the boat and dropped a life raft.
Officials say helicopters have taken the injured to the island of Lampedusa, about 100 kilometers from where the boat capsized Friday.
The incident comes just over a week after an African migrant ship capsized off the same small island, killing more than 300 people.
Lampedusa is geographically closer to Africa than it is to Italy's mainland, making the island a destination for Africans hoping to start a new life in Europe.
Officials say more than 200 migrants were rescued Friday in a joint operation by the navies of Italy and Malta.
Italy's coast guard said it received a satellite phone call from the boat that it was in distress. A Maltese military aircraft then spotted the boat and dropped a life raft.
Officials say helicopters have taken the injured to the island of Lampedusa, about 100 kilometers from where the boat capsized Friday.
The incident comes just over a week after an African migrant ship capsized off the same small island, killing more than 300 people.
Lampedusa is geographically closer to Africa than it is to Italy's mainland, making the island a destination for Africans hoping to start a new life in Europe.
