Fifty irregular migrants were rescued in international waters in Libya's search-and-rescue zone. The Italian nongovernmental organization Emergency announced that the bodies of seven people who died aboard the boat were also recovered.
The rescued migrants included Somali and Egyptian nationals. Emergency said two people were in critical condition and that 29 unaccompanied children were among those aboard the boat.
The port of Bari in Italy was designated for the migrants to be brought ashore.
High-risk migration route in the central Mediterranean
The central Mediterranean, between Italy, Egypt, Malta, Libya and Tunisia, is among the busy maritime routes used by irregular migrants seeking to reach Europe.
Italy's Lampedusa Island and Malta, which are among the European points closest to North Africa, can be the first destinations reached by migrants on this route. European-based nongovernmental organizations take part in search-and-rescue operations for migrants exposed to danger during sea crossings.
Along this route, migrants face the risks of boats capsizing because of sea and weather conditions, overcrowding, dehydration, lack of ventilation and poisoning caused by engine exhaust. Many irregular migrants die every year along the central Mediterranean route.