Hundreds of Syrian refugees have been rescued in rough seas off the southern coast of Italy in the last 24 hours.
The Coastguard said three boats carrying 809 refugees, including many women and children, were intercepted.
The Coastguard says one boat was in difficulty and gradually sinking when it was rescued.
The number of Syrian refugees reaching Italy has increased steadily in recent months and the United Nations estimates that 3300 have arrived since the start of August. They are held in immigration centres.
More than two million refugees have now fled Syria's civil war - mainly to Iraq, Jordan, Turkey and Lebanon.
