Forty-one migrants are feared drowned in a new Mediterranean shipwreck, according to the International Organisation for Migrants.

The IOM aid agency, based in Geneva, said four migrants reported the tragedy in recent days after arriving in the Italian port of Trapani. They were among 580 migrants brought to the port on Thursday.

The agency said the migrants were found floating in the sea by a helicopter and were rescued by the Italian Naval ship Foscari. They had left Tripoli in Libya on Saturday and stayed adrift for four days.

Meanwhile, Ansa news agency reported that 15 migrants have been arrested and are under investigation in Italy for attempted murder after a fight between Christian and Muslim migrants on board a boat.

A number of migrants reported that the boat, carrying more than 100 people, left from Libya on April 14.

The fight involved Muslims from the Ivory Coast, Mali and Senegal and Christians from Nigeria an Ghana.

Twelve Christians were thrown overboard but were rescued.

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