100 refugees fleeing violence in Libya are feared to have died in an overcrowded boat destined for Lampedusa Island.
Survivors have said that there were 300 people onboard but 100 did not survive and their bodies were thrown overboard.
One person on board said that 'dozens and dozens of people' had died of thirst and hunger and were thrown overboard.
The claim contradicted information provided earlier by Italian coast guard officials. They said 300 badly dehydrated refugees were rescued from the boat after it was discovered 167km south of Lampedusa.
A Cypriot boat initially spotted the refugees and alerted Italian coast guards after some of the people on board tried to swim across to them in high seas.
So far rescue workers have not been able to check whether there were in fact bodies floating in the water.
