ROME, Oct. 7 (Xinhua) -- A total of 9 bodies have been recovered so far off the coast of the Italian island of Lampedusa after a migrant boat capsized in the early hours of Monday, local media reported.
The Italian Coast Guard said in a statement earlier in the day that 22 migrants had been rescued and the bodies of two women were recovered after their "overloaded" wooden vessel carrying about 50 people capsized in the early hours of Monday.
Survivors told rescuers that eight children were missing. The search for survivors and bodies is ongoing, local media including ANSA news agency and Sky TG24 private broadcaster reported.
"Right now, our Moonbird is helping in the search for survivors of the shipwreck," Sea-Watch humanitarian group tweeted. "8 children were reportedly on board. All are missing."
Moonbird is a light reconnaissance plane used in a joint mission between Sea-Watch and the Humanitarian Pilots Initiative to spot migrant vessels in distress in the Mediterranean.
