Ships near Italy rescue 32 migrants, 71 missing - charity

Two merchant vessels near the Italian coast have recovered the bodies of two migrants and rescued 32 survivors from a boat trying to cross to Europe from Libya on Easter weekend, rescue charities said, citing the survivors as saying 71 others were lost at sea.

The victims were transferred to an Italian coast guard patrol boat and brought to the Italian island of Lampedusa, said the groups Mediterranea Saving Humans and Sea-Watch.

Italy's interior ministry said it had no comment on the report.

The Italian Coast Guard did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Survivors said their ship had originally included 105 passengers, with 71 lost at sea, said the rescue charities.

Video released from Sea-Watch showed about a dozen people clinging to a capsized orange boat as it was approached by the merchant vessel.

Bad weather has roiled the Mediterranean this year, limiting the number of departures from North Africa and posing grave problems for those who have managed to put to sea.

The International Organization for Migration estimates that at least 683 people have died in the central Mediterranean this year, one of the highest tolls since 2014.