Italy's authorities on Monday recovered five dead migrants during the rescue operation of a sinking boat off southern Sicily Island, the Italian navy said in a statement.

A total of 61 migrants were pulled to safety. The survivors said however there were around 80 people traveling on the packed boat, according to the statement.

The search mission was continuing in the surrounding waters, it said.

More than 1,700 African migrants have been rescued in the night and were being transported to the Italian mainland by the navy ships that are part of the Italian government's Mare Nostrum (Our Sea) search-and-rescue mission, the statement also added.

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