Forty-seven illegal migrants died of starvation and cold after the engine of rickety boat transporting them from Libya to Italy broke down, a Tunisian newspaper reported today.

Sixteeen other migrants, who survived the tragedy, dumped the 47 bodies on the Mediterranean sea in a bid to prevent the boat from sinking, the weekly Assabah el Ousboue said, quoting security officials who had been briefed by survivors.

The wind pushed the damaged boat towards Tunisia's shore where coastguard rescued the 16 would-be migrants, it added.

The migrants left the coastal Libyan city of Zawara last week.

Three corpses, believed to be those of the dead migrants, washed up near the coast village of Bekalta, some 250 km (150 miles) southeast of Tunis, the newspaper said. Three bodies were also recovered off Malta last week although it is not known if they came from the same boat.

Last year at least 471 were reported dead or missing after hazardous journeys, according to the United Nations and migrant defence groups.