At least 26 migrants have died after a boat carrying roughly 100 people capsized near the Italian island of Lampedusa.
The Italian Coast Guard and the U.N. refugee agency (UNHCR) confirmed the fatalities. More than 60 survivors were taken to a reception center on the island, according to UNHCR spokesperson Filippo Ungaro.
Rescue teams continue to search for additional survivors.
Flavio Di Giacomo, spokesperson for the U.N. migration agency (IOM), said survivors reported that about 95 migrants had departed Libya in two boats.
When one vessel began taking on water, all passengers were transferred to the second boat, which became overcrowded and capsized near dawn, according to Lampedusa Mayor Filippo Manniuno.
So far in 2025, at least 675 migrants have died attempting the Mediterranean crossing.