Authorities search for shipwreck survivors in Mediterranean Sea

Authorities are searching for survivors of a shipwreck in the Mediterranean Sea that likely claimed the lives of at least 700 people.

The ship capsized on Sunday, likely killing hundreds of migrants who were seeking to make the passage from Africa to Europe.

{mosads}Rescuers are concerned about two other boats that had made distress calls in the same area, less than 100 miles from the coast of Libya. One was an inflatable raft with between 100 and 150 people on board, while another had 300 passengers, The New York Times reported.

The Guardian reported that an official from the International Organization for Migration said the rescue efforts for the first ship was making it difficult for authorities to respond to other sinking boats.

“The weekend incident has tied up a lot of resources,” said IOM official Federico Soda.

The rescue effort is being led by Italian and Maltese authorities. As of Sunday, the Times reported, 24 bodies had been recovered from the first ship.

The Guardian reported that the Italian coast guard was in the process of bringing 28 survivors to Sicily.

Ministers from European Union countries were planning to use a regularly scheduled meeting on Monday to discuss what was becoming a growing death toll from migrants trying to make the dangerous passage to Europe.

Many migrants coming from Africa and the Middle East make the trip on overcrowded or unsound vessels.