Humanitarian conditions on the Italian island of Lampedusa are dire, the Italian Red Cross warns, after more than 5,000 people in over 100 different migrant boats arrived on the island in a single day.
This is because people smugglers in North Africa take the opportunity to travel when the sea is calm.
At least one infant has died when a boat capsized near the coast, state radio reports. The other 46 passengers, including the mother, are said to have been rescued by an Italian coastguard vessel.
“A few days ago there were more than 4,000 people and we were talking about a record. Today we are talking about a new record of arrivals,” writes Red Cross national director Rosario Valastro in social media.
The Red Cross is urging the Italian government to bring the migrants to the mainland.