At least 15 bodies have been found on the coast of Italy in recent days, with authorities suggesting that they are migrants who died while trying to cross the Mediterranean, DPA reported.
The bodies were found on beaches on the island of Sicily, as well as on the coast of the Calabria region. It is believed that the people drowned in the winter storms that have raged in recent weeks.
The journey from Africa to Europe across the Mediterranean is dangerous even in normal weather conditions. Traffickers often smuggle migrants from countries such as Libya and Tunisia onto unseaworthy boats. NGOs fear that several hundred people may have drowned this winter.