Migrant boat capsizes off Italy island - 150 missing

A search is under way for 150 migrants missing in the Mediterranean after their boat capsized in rough seas off the Italian isle of Lampedusa.

Italian rescue vessels and a helicopter saved 48 refugees from the boat, which had been carrying about 200 people.

The boat was found some 70km (40 miles) from Lampedusa, which has struggled to cope with thousands of migrants from Tunisia this year.

Rescuers have spotted 15 bodies at the scene, the AFP news agency reports.

The Italian Coast Guard responded to a distress call from the boat at about 0400 local time (0200 GMT) on Wednesday.

Three Coast Guard vessels are involved in the search, along with two planes and a helicopter.

Italian officials say the rescue was initially hampered by the darkness and bad weather, with strong winds gusting in the area.

The Lampedusa port authority says the migrant boat probably came from war-torn Libya, judging from its position south-west of the tiny island, Italy's Corriere della Sera newspaper reports. The migrants' nationalities have not yet been established.

The rescue is being co-ordinated with the Maltese authorities.

Italy and Tunisia agreed measures on Tuesday to stop large numbers of illegal immigrants arriving on Lampedusa from Tunisia, which has been in turmoil since a revolution in January.

Italy says it will give six-month residency papers to some 20,000 migrants already in Italy, but new arrivals will be deported.

The accord followed talks between Italy's Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and Tunisian ministers in Tunis on Monday. Mr Berlusconi also visited Lampedusa last week and pledged to tackle the island's migrant influx.

Italy has moved many migrants from Lampedusa to the mainland, because the migrants on the island outnumbered locals and overwhelmed the holding facility there. Unhygienic conditions, with dozens of migrants sleeping rough outdoors, created a health risk.

source : bbc.co.uk