More immigrants feared dead in seas off Sicily

ROME, Aug 20 (Reuters) At least 10 illegal immigrants trying to enter Italy were feared dead and another 20 missing today when a rubber boat overturned off Sicily in the second such disaster in the area in as many days.

In todays accident, a coastguard official said about 10 immigrants were rescued by a fishing boat some 70 miles south of the island of Lampedusa. The immigrants told the crew there had been more than 40 people on their boat.

A boat packed with as many as 120 illegal immigrants sank in waters off Sicily yesterday. Rescue ships saved 70 immigrants and recovered 10 bodies, four of them women. Rescuers found no other survivors or bodies from that wreck today.

Lampedusa, between Sicily and Libya, has become one of the gateways for illegal immigrants and refugees who leave north Africa in an attempt to enter the European Union.

The crew of a rescue plane reported they had spotted 10 bodies in the area of todays disaster. Coastguard boats were heading to the spot, a spokesman said.

Five boats carrying a total of 125 immigrants from north Africa entered Italian waters today. Four were intercepted at sea but one managed to make it to shore.

The latest disasters prompted Italy to call for greater cooperation to fight human trafficking.

''(This) is not only a tragedy but nothing less than a crime,'' Interior Minister Giuliano Amato said after yesterdays sinking, calling for more cooperation to dismantle criminal gangs behind the trafficking.

Spain's Canary Islands, another EU entry point for illegal immigrants from Africa, made a plea for help last week, saying local services could no longer cope.

About 16,400 African boat people have landed on the islands so far this year, officials said.

Nearly 10,000 have reached Italy's Lampedusa this year. In 2005, nearly 23,000 illegal immigrants reached Italy, some 8,000 more than in 2004.

In Italy, police said they had identified five men among survivors of Saturday's disaster who they believe are Libyan and suspected of being part of a gang that organised the voyage.

Immigrants often pay thousands of dollars for their journey.

Many of them are repatriated back to Africa if they are caught unless they can prove they are political refugees.

REUTERS BDP BST2318