The crew of an Italian military vessel have picked up the bodies of 12 men trying to migrate to Europe in waters lying between Libya and Italy.
Another 27 people, including seven women who were clinging to a rubber dinghy that had capsized in the same area, were rescued by a fishing vessel.
Michele D'Andrea, a port authority official in Palermo, Sicily's capital, said the shipwreck occurred late on Thursday, south of the Italian island of Lampedusa.
The survivors, who are being taken to Sicily, were all said to be in good condition, although three people were still thought missing.
Italian shores, especially the small island of Lampedusa, are a common entry-point for immigrants making the crossing from Libya and other parts of north Africa in the hope of a new life in Europe.