Pope Francis has expressed his deepest sorrow about what appears to be worst incident of its kind with as many as 700 Europe-bound people drowned off the coast of Libya.

Once again, Italy’s taken the lion’s share of rescue operations sending 17 boats to the site of the capsized boat where hundreds died.

Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi says his European colleagues must meet this week to discuss a united approach to dealing with what he’s calling a plague in our continent and modern slavery.

The 20m long boat was believed to be carrying up to 700 migrants, and only 28 survivors have been rescued.

Up to 1 500 migrants are now feared to have drowned this year alone in the Mediterranean

About 16 000 have reached the Italian Island of Lampedusa.

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