The Italian navy, which rescued 312 people caught up in the incident, said early Saturday that the victims drowned after the boat took on water in its hold.
“Operation underway… many migrants saved. At least 40 dead,” the navy said on its Twitter account.
Italy’s interior minister, Angelino Alfano, told reporters the tragedy would not end if the Libyan problem is not solved.
Instability in Africa and the Middle East has seen many migrants attempting to enter Europe through Italy, near Lampedusa and the Strait of Sicily.
Some 102,000 migrants crossed to Italian waters from Libya to reach safety in 2015, the International Organization for Migration said previously.
Author: Diyar Güldoğan
