At least eight people died after a boat carrying refugees sank in the Mediterranean Sea on Saturday, Italian Rainews24 tv channel said.

The boat was off Libya when it capsized, killing at least eight refugees while 100 others were missing, according to channel.

Separately, a written statement by local coast guard command said 650 refugees on Saturday were recovered during 12 separate rescue operations on the Mediterranean, covering an area between Italy and Libya.

According to latest International Organization for Migration figures, Mediterranean refugee arrivals reached 60,521 so far this year, with over 80 percent arriving in Italy while 1,530 refugees died in 2017 trying to reach Europe via the sea.

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