Italian coast guards have found 25 dead bodies in the hold of a crammed migrants' boat which arrived off Lampedusa this morning.

The boat was carrying 271 people and the 25 - all men - are believed to have died of asphyxiation due to crowded conditions.

The corpses were found while the migrants were being moved from their boat onto a coast guard vessel. They are now in a morgue on the island.

The 271 migrants found alive included 36 women and 21 children. Coast guard officials had earlier said that the number of refugees was 268.

Hundreds have drowned in a series of accidents usually in stormy seas. The vessels used for crossings from Libya are often rickety fishing boats.

The journey from North Africa takes around two days.

Nato directed Spanish frigate to sail away from Malta

Meanwhile, the Spanish Defence Ministry in a statement yesterday confirmed that it was Nato which directed its frigate Almirante Juan de Borbón to take 114 migrants to Tunisia after having rescued them and sailed for Malta. 

Malta had refused entry to the frigate, insisting that Tunisia and Lampedusa were closer to the site of the rescue.