Date: Mon, 27 Jun 2016 00:46:19 +0200
More than 3,300 migrants were rescued in the Mediterranean over the weekend
Italian ships rescued more than 3,300 migrants in 26 separate operations in the Mediterranean over the weekend, a spokesperson for the Italian navy said on Sunday.
The people were picked up from 25 dinghies and one boat, all north of the Libyan coast, the Italian coast guard said in a separate statement.
The navy spokesperson said one adult was found dead and another four injured migrants were transported by helicopter to the nearest hospital, on the island of Lampedusa.
Italy is on the front line of Europe's worst immigration crisis since World War II, with little sign of any slowdown in the flow of people coming from North Africa.
About 60,000 boat migrants have been brought to Italy so far this year, according to the Interior Ministry.
On Friday ship crews rescued more than 2,000 people from overcrowded boats.
Improved weather conditions in the Mediterranean have encouraged human smugglers to attempt to send more boats across the sea despite the dangers involved.
More than 3,700 migrants died in the Mediterranean last year, according to the International Organization for Migration.