Eleven African immigrants were feared drowned on Friday after their boat capsized in waters in international waters off Malta, Italian media reported.

A total of 27 people were aboard the vessel which appeared to have overturned more as a result of overload than adverse weather conditions.

Only three bodies were recovered by Italian and Maltese coastguard and navy ships, report said.

The 16 survivors, who were rescued by a Sicilian fishing boat early Friday morning, said there was no hope for the other eight missing because they had seen them drown.

Italian authorities said the immigrants had set out in the small boat with an outboard motor from either Libya or Tunisia and had been heading for the Sicilian coastline.

The boat capsized in calm waters some 40 miles east of Malt and 50 miles south of Capo Passero, the southernmost tip of Sicily.

Interior Undersecretary Marcella Lucidi said on Friday afternoon that more needed to be done to prevent such tragedies.

"There must be greater cooperation with the countries where the migrants come from to tackle this phenomenon at its roots instead of when it's too late," she said.

Meanwhile, a further 37 immigrants including two women were rescued by an Italian navy ship on Friday evening after their boat broke down off the southern island of Lampedusa.

Shortly afterwards, another boat carrying some 30 migrants was spotted near Lampedusa.

Every year, thousands of immigrants land in Lampedusa, which is closer to the coast of Tunisia than to the Italian mainland.

(Xinhua News Agency June 10, 2006)