A German sea rescue charity, RESQSHIP, reported on Sunday that at least three people, including two young children aged three and four, died during a Mediterranean Sea crossing from Libya to Italy.
The charity stated that they rescued 59 survivors from the perilous journey.
The migrants were discovered on Saturday adrift in a rubber boat south of the Italian island of Lampedusa.
A surveillance aircraft belonging to the EU border agency, Frontex, spotted the vessel. RESQSHIP said in a statement that by the time their team reached the boat at approximately 4:30 PM (1430 GMT), it was too late for some individuals.
The charity’s paramedic, identified as Rania, reported that the bodies of two infants, aged three and four, were handed over to them.
She stated that the children had likely died from thirst the previous day.
Additionally, a man was found unconscious and was later declared dead despite resuscitation attempts.
Survivors informed RESQSHIP that another migrant had drowned on Friday after falling overboard.
Many of the survivors, who were subsequently taken to Lampedusa, suffered chemical burns from the combination of salt water and fuel.
RESQSHIP also reported that two children and four adults in critical condition were transferred to the Italian coast guard for quicker transport to shore.
According to the NGO, the rubber boat had departed from the port of Zawiya in western Libya on Wednesday.
However, the boat’s engine failed after only one day at sea, leaving the migrants exposed to the harsh conditions of wind and weather.