One migrant dead, three missing off Italian coast

ROME, Sept 1 (Reuters) One migrant died and another three were missing after their boat ran into trouble in stormy seas off the Sicilian coast in the early hours today, the Italian coastguard said.

Italian authorities rescued the remaining 14 migrants on board, but were forced to suspend their night-time search for the missing due to visibility problems and bad weather.

The search resumed in the morning with the help of an aircraft, the coastguard said.

The number of illegal migrants attempting to reach Italian shores has jumped in recent weeks, boosted by the warm summer weather and calmer seas.

Authorities say the overall number of migrants landing on Italian shores has dropped sharply this year, but hundreds continue to arrive each week in overcrowded, rickety vessels that capsize long before they reach the coast.

On Thursday, Malta's military said 25 migrants were missing and believed dead when their boat capisized during a rescue attempt.

Italy last month recovered the bodies of seven of 14 migrants spotted floating in Maltese waters, sparking calls for better measures and tighter rules to prevent such deaths.

REUTERS SLD PM1630