ROME

The death toll from the capsizing of an irregular migrants' boat off the coast of southern Italy has risen to 20, according to a statement issued by the Italian Coast Guard Command on Thursday.

The incident occurred on Monday, approximately 120 miles (193 kilometers) off the coast of the Calabria region.

In the latest update, the Coast Guard's Dattilo ship recovered 12 more bodies from the sea and transported them to shore through the CP305 patrol boat.

Search and rescue operations are still ongoing, with authorities continuing to search for survivors and recovering more bodies.

On the day of the incident, 12 irregular migrants were rescued by a passing cargo ship.

However, statements from survivors revealed that 66 more people, including 26 children, were on the boat and remained missing.

This tragic incident is the second deadliest in the region this year, following a disaster in Feb. 2023 that killed 94 migrants, including 35 children, in a similar boat capsize incident.