Coastguards have rescued a boatload of at least 270 migrants, including women and children, off Libya's eastern coast.

The Arab and African migrants were taken to a navy base in the capital, Tripoli, said a Libyan naval official.

Sudanese migrant Omar Yusef said: "We were lost and didn't know where to direct our boat."

"We called the coastguard and a helicopter came and guided us."

Libya has become a frequently used but perilous route to Europe for people fleeing poverty and civil war in the region, although the country's authorities recently stepped up efforts to stem the flow of migrants to the continent.

Libya descended into chaos following an uprising in 2011 that toppled longtime ruler Muammar Gaddafi who was later killed.