The dingy sank around 30 miles southwest of Lampedusa in the Maltese search-and-rescue area. Although the coastguard managed to save most of the people onboard, one woman died. According to testimonies with the rescued migrants, she was an 18-year-old from Ghana.

The incident occurred during the night between April 3 and April 4. Italian military personnel intervened to save the migrants and subsequently disembarked the survivors and the body at the Favarolo pier in Lampedusa, according to statements made to ANSA.

On April 3, over 500 arrivals

Near 50 migrants landed in Lampedusa shortly before the shipwreck in Maltese waters. They arrived aboard an 8-meter dinghy coming from Sfax, Tunisia. The vessel was intercepted by a patrol boat of Italy's financial guard.

Eight women and two minors were onboard the boat, which carried people from Sudan and Guinea. They said they had paid 1,500 Tunisian dinars (478 dollars) for the crossing.

Over 500 migrants have arrived on the small Italian island in recent days, including citizens from Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Guinea, Gambia, Mali, Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Chad and Somalia.

On April 4, there were 980 migrants present at the Lampedusa hotspot after numerous landings the day before.

Among them are 40 unaccompanied minors. They will be transferred to the Italian mainland in the coming days.