A boat of migrants ran aground off Lampedusa

AFP - A boat carrying 300 migrants ran aground as it approached the Italian port of Lampedusa and many passengers, including women and children were thrown overboard, said Sunday the Italian agency Ansa, quoting official sources.

Coast Guard launched a rescue operation and have recovered dozens of passengers who had jumped into the sea after the boat had hit rocks, they added the same source.

The ship was apparently going to Malta but was escorted by Coast Guard Malta to Lampedusa, it was still indicated.

Sunday, another boat with 800 migrants on board also arrived in Lampedusa.

Thousands of refugees coming from Libya and Tunisia in recent weeks have arrived in Lampedusa.Migrants from Libya were mostly workers from Sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia.

A minority is made up of Tunisians.

The day before, Saturday, hundreds of refugees traveling to Libya and two boats had already landed on the island of Lampedusa.

655 people, including 82 women and 21 children were aboard the first boat and 187, including 19 women and one child on board the second boat fishing rusty and overloaded.