At least 40 migrants dead in Mediterranean sinking

The two migrants found clinging to the barrel were spotted after an Italian navy helicopter spotted a rubber boat deflating and dropped life rafts to help migrants on board.

The Italian navy wrote on Twitter on Saturday that it was involved in a rescue operation to try and save the migrants.

The navy said that, because the rescue is still ongoing, it couldn’t give exact numbers of dead and rescued.

The deaths were caused by suffocation as the migrants were held in a confined space below deck, according to reports.

Italian news agency Ansa added that the naval vessel Cigala Fulgosi was leading the rescue mission.

The Mediterranean has become the world’s most deadly border zone for migrants.

More than 1,000 migrants were rescued trying to cross the Mediterranean over the weekend, Italy’s coastguard said Sunday, with further tragedies narrowly averted.