At least 82 people have died after a boat carrying African migrants sank off the southern Italian island of Lampedusa, the island's mayor says.

More than 140 have been rescued but hundreds are missing, officials say.

Passengers reportedly threw themselves into the sea as the vessel got into trouble and Italian officials were quoted as saying that dozens of people were still in the water.

Earlier this week, 13 migrants drowned while trying to reach Sicily.

There are reports that a fire broke out on board, before the boat sank. There are believed to have been around 500 people on board.

Local media reports say that at least one child and a pregnant woman are among the dead.

"The immense tragedy at Lampedusa... is unbearable for any human being," Transport Minister Maurizio Lupi said, according to Reuters.

The mayor of Lampedusa, Giusi Nicolini, described the scene as a "continuous horror".

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-24380247

At this time of year, when the Mediterranean tends to be calmer, vessels carrying migrants from Africa and the Middle East land on Italy's southern shores almost every day, the BBC's Alan Johnston reports from Rome.

But often the vessels are overcrowded and are not seaworthy. Over the years many have died when their boats have sunk, our correspondent adds.

The UN said almost 500 people were reported dead or missing at sea during 2012 in attempts to reach Europe.

About 130 African migrants in search of greener pastures in Europe perished off the Sicilian island of Lampedusa, near mainland Italy. The UN speculates that a good number of the over 500 people on the boat at the time of the incident were from the East African countries of Somalia and Eritrea.

… Boat caught fire and capsized
Mayor of Lampedusa, Giusy Nicolini, says it appears migrants lit a small fire on the boat when it was about a kilometer from shore to attract the attention of the coastguard.
The fire spread and caused those onboard to panic. Ms Nicolini says the boat then flipped over.

More than 150 passengers have survived the ordeal, while up to 200 are still unaccounted for. But air and sea rescue operations are ongoing to pluck more people to safety. The survivors are being taken to the main port on the Lampedusa island where they will be looked after. Bodies of the casualties are also being taken to the facilities.

“A disgrace”
Pope Francis I, who visited Lampedusa in July, immediately offered his condolences but added: “The word disgrace comes to mind. It’s a disgrace.”

UN High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres also added, “I commend the swift action taken by the Italian coastguard to save lives. At the same time, I am dismayed at the rising global phenomenon of migrants and people fleeing conflict or persecution and perishing at sea.”

This latest tragedy comes barely four days after 13 migrants perished off the eastern coast of Sicily. The Italian island of Lampedusa is the part of the European Union that is closest to Libya, which is the preferred route for people that smuggle African migrants into Europe. Most of these illegal migrants embark on a very dangerous journey that takes them through the hot Sahara Desert to the Libyan coast where they then embark on the final phase of the trip to Europe.

http://observerreports.com/2013/10/66-foot-boat-conveying-african-migrants-to-italy-sinks-scores-killed-others-unaccounted-for/